Runaway
by PenofaPhoenix
Summary: The Year is 2014, London. When Scorpius runs away from home, Hermione takes him under her wing, not knowing who's child he is. When Draco and Hermione cross paths, drama ensues, courtesy of Scorpius. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1: Overwhelmed

Runaway

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><p>Setting: 2014, London<p>

Characters:

Hermione Granger, Age 33:

Single: her relationship with Ron didn't work out after the war, but they are on friendly terms. Ron is now with Amanda MacAlister. Hermione works for the Ministry in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as a lawyer.

Draco Malfoy, Age 33:

Married: to Astoria Greengrass with one son, Scorpius Malfoy. He works as an Auror alongside Harry Potter.

Scorpius Malfoy, Age 7:

Child of Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass, only child. Slighty emotional, yet adorable and sweet. Looks mostly like Draco, and has already realized magical powers.

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><p>Chapter 1: Overwhelmed<p>

Scorpius covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut, but nothing he did could block out the sound of Draco and Astoria arguing—again. Their voices permeated his bedroom, loud and clear.

"All you ever do it work! It's as if you care about your work more than your family!" That was Astoria, furious that Draco had come home late, yet again.

"How can you say I don't care for my family? All I do is for you two, and I'm working my ass off to restore our position in society!" Draco's patience was very low, as he had just come back from an extremely long trial, where Gregory Goyle Sr. had been condemned to a lifetime in Azkaban.

Scorpius whimpered and opened his bedroom door cautiously. He winced as the sound of another glass breaking reached his ears. Tip-toeing quietly to his parents' master suite, he grabbed the duffel his mum always gave him when he spent the night at the Zabini's, who had a daughter, Antonia, his age. After packing all his clothes and favorite toys into the bag, which he knew had an Undetectable Extension Charm, he called his house elf.

"Yes, Master Scorpius, what can Lira dos for yous?"

"Could you please not call me 'master?' I told you that the title belongs to Father. But if you may, could you pack a bag with my favorite foods in it? I'm going to the Zabini's to spend the night. They er… invited me. It's courteous to bring food, right?"

"Of course, Scorpius. I wills do that for yous." Even though Lira was a house elf, she could tell Scorpius wasn't being entirely honest. But she did as he bid anyways. When Lira returned with the requested items, Scorpius placed the food in his bag and turned to Lira, "Don't tell Mum or Father, do you understand? They mustn't know I've left." Lira nodded and with that, Scorpius walked to the Floo.

Downstairs, Draco and Astoria were still arguing. If Lira had listened carefully, she would have noticed that Scorpius did not say Zabini Villa; instead, he whispered "the Ministry of Magic."


	2. Chapter 2: Found

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

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><p>Chapter 2: Found<p>

Hermione Granger was again, staying late at work to complete some of her paperwork for the Auror Department. Her best (girl) friend, Ginny Potter, and her spouse, Harry Potter, both agreed that she worked too much. Hermione always shrugged off the remark with an "it keeps me occupied." Ever since Ron and she had split on amicable terms, she hadn't gone out much. Even with Ginny's persistent insisting, she only went out at most once a month. Finally, Ginny had just given up when she had given birth to Lily, saying that "three kids definitely kept her busy." Hermione often came over to help with the kids; she always had a fondness for them, and she was always welcome at the Burrow for the bi-monthly family dinner.

After placing the completed paperwork for the Goyle Sr. case in Harry Potter's file, Hermione walked into the golden Atrium, her heels clacking on the floor. The lights were turned dim, as almost everyone else had left. As she was walking towards the Ministry fireplace, she heard _it_. A soft whimper and then, a sniff. Puzzled, she turned towards the source of the noise.

At the base of the golden fountain, she spotted the noise-maker. A small, blond boy, probably about 6 or 7 years of age, sat hunched over, with a rucksack at his feet. Quietly and curiously, she walked over, cautiously placing her hand on the boy's shoulder. His head popped up and he looked around fearfully, before registering the pretty, brown-haired woman's presence.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked. "Oh dear, that's a silly question. Are you lost?"

Scorpius shook his head no.

"Where are your parents?"

Scorpius kept his mouth shut determinedly.

"Oh, so you don't want to tell me?" Hermione let out a laugh. Scorpius liked the sound. It was full and true, unlike his mum's high-pitched, tinkle-like giggle. "Well, you can't very well stay here. Come on, you look tired. Why don't you come home with me and get a good night's sleep? We can deal with this…situation… tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Scorpius looked up at the kind woman and smiled weakly. He nodded his head and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and led to the fireplace. She pulled the silent boy in with her, his rucksack and her briefcase on her shoulder. After exiting the bathrooms, she walked home, the boy following close behind. As they walked, she turned to him.

"So, what's your name?" Hermione asked curiously. "I'm Hermione Granger, but you may call me Miss Mione or Miss Hermione if you'd like."

Scorpius cleared his throat and softly said, "OK, Miss Mione. I… don't care what you call me. I'd rather not tell you my name…"

Hermione tilted her head quizzically. "Alright then…" They walked the rest of the way in silence. Scorpius' eyelids had begun to droop when Hermione announced with a flourish, "Well, here it is! Home sweet home!"

At this, Scorpius grinned happily, if not a bit tiredly, and followed Hermione into her spacious flat. Walking to the back of the flat, she opened a second door and led Scorpius into the guest bedroom, and cleared the room of dust with a quick _Scourgify_. She pulled down the covers and placed his duffel at the foot of the bed and left Scorpius to change into his pajamas.

A while later, after Hermione had showered and changed into a white nightgown and robe set, she crossed the hall and opened the door carefully, peeking her head in. She saw the little boy with his eyes closed, sleeping peacefully with his platinum blond hair mussed. _He looks like an angel, _she thought. Walking in, she tucked the blankets securely around him and turned off the lights as she exited. After casting all the precautionary spells, she walked into her bedroom and turned off the lights. Her last thought was _Angelo… just like an angel._ She drifted into sleep with a smile on her face.

Her alarm rang, loud and clear. She rolled over and frowned at the time. 6:30. Normally, she was okay with waking at this time, but because she didn't want to apparate with the young boy, _Angelo_, she thought, it took much longer. She crawled out of bed and walked out to start the coffee when _Angelo_ walked out. He blinked, still in the midst of waking up.

"Are you leaving already? I don't want you to go…" Hermione looked up, surprised.

"Well, I do have work—"

"Please? Can't you stay for a day or something? I don't want to be alone…" His eyes were big and full of emotion, his brows wrinkled with worry. Hermione melted at the sight.

"Alright… Let me call in and let them know I'm taking a day off. Merlin knows I deserve it." Five minutes later, Hermione was situated at the stove, frying eggs to start the day. The toaster ding!-ed and with a flick of her wand, Hermione sent the perfectly browned bread slices to the two plates on the table. With another flick of her wand, milk was poured out for both her and Angelo, as she had grown fond of calling him. After scooping up scrambled eggs and placing them next to the toast, she turned to Angelo.

"So, would you like sausages or bacon?" Scorpius smiled boyishly.

"Sausages, please!" His mum never let him have any; according to her, they were 'terrible for your health.' The one time that he had snuck a bite in a restaurant, he loved it! Quickly, Hermione set the stove cooking and grilled the sausages. She waved her wand once it finished, and the sausage cut itself into manageable slices and landed on their plates respectively. Scorpius smiled and precisely used his fork and knife to lift the eggs onto the toast and slice it into bite size pieces. _Old habits die hard_, he thought with a shrug.

Hermione looked at Angelo with a hint of melancholy on her face. If she had stayed with Ron, she might have a beautiful boy of her own… But that was the past, and nothing could change it. _Not even a Time-Turner_, she thought with a smirk, as she remembered the "Golden Trio's" escapades. Hermione noted that Angelo had impeccably manners. _Either he had a stickler of a mother… or he's pureblood. Though you'd think that there would already be a search all over wizarding London if a family had discovered their son to be missing…_

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><p>And at that moment, Astoria let out a shriek.<p>

"My god, Draco! Scorpius is-is… missing!" Her blatherings were inarticulate, and Draco rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He became wide awake as soon as he realized what Astoria was screaming. "You! It's all your fault!"

"My fault?" he asked dumbly, confused as to why Astoria was glaring at him accusatorily.

"Yes! Your fault! If you had been home more, he wouldn't have felt as neglected and runaway!"

"How do you know that is the reason he ran away?" Draco asked, his temper rising.

"Well, what other logical reason does he have?" Astoria was furious, her hands on her hips, her wand shooting sparks at the tip. However, a slip of paper on Scorpius' desk caught Draco's eye. He gently shoved his _wife_ aside and proceeded to grasp the paper.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"No."

"What-at?" Astoria was shocked to the core. Her husband had never been so blatant about his inattention. "Hey! What's that? Give it to me!"

"It's addressed to me, and I'll tell you what it says if you give me a chance to read it, woman!" Draco's nimble fingers pried open the seal and his eyes scanned the document hurriedly. His voice was quiet as he read aloud, "_Father, I've run away. I hate hearing you and Mum argue. I am safe, do not worry. Please sort out __you're_(here he crossed out the word and corrected it) _your problems. I'll come back when I know you have stopped arguing. I don't need you to be home all the time_(at this Draco smirked self-satisfactorily at Astoria)_because I know you love me. I just need you and Mum to be the loving parents I want, like Mr. and Mrs. Zabini. Love, Scorpius. P.S. Mr. and Mrs. Zabini don't know where I am; don't bother asking."_

Astoria and Draco glanced at each other, ashamed.

"Well, we know he's safe, though we don't know where…" Astoria's voice drifted off. Draco eyed the parchment again, and looked up.

"Astoria, which house elf does Scorpius spend the most time with?"

"Either Lira or Dreé… Though I think it'd be Lira. She seems to have taken a liking to the boy."

"Lira!" Draco summoned the house elf.

"Yes Master Draco? What can Lira dos for yous?"

"Where is Scorpius?" asked Draco imperatively. Lira looked down at her hands and wrung her dishcloth dress.

"I said, where is Scorpius?"

"Master Scorpius forbade Lira from telling Master Draco and Mistress Astoria…" Lira said nervously.

"Very well. As Master of the house, _I_ command you to tell me where Scorpius is!" Draco demanded.

"Scorpius told Lira that he went to the Zabini's Villa."

"I see. You are no longer needed. Go back to your work." Lira bowed and with a pop!, apparated away. "We need to visit the Zabinis." Draco said, looking at Astoria pointedly. She nodded her agreement and with a pop!, they both apparated away.

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><p>AN: Tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 3: Visits, Part 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, not even adorable Scorpius. Actually, I own Maria and Antonia, though.

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><p>Chapter 3: Visits, Part 1<p>

Draco and Astoria popped into the Zabini's kitchen, starling Maria Zabini, who promptly spilled her morning cup of tea over her robe, which she cleaned with a quick _Scourgify_. Maria was a Spanish model whom Blaise had met at Milan Fashion Week. She was a witch, obviously, but as a half-blood, Mr. Zabini Sr. was very displeased at first with Blaise's conquest. His opinion soon changed, however, when he discovered that not only was Maria stunningly beautiful (and wealthy), but she was also very intelligent and kind. They were married soon after Draco and Astoria, and Maria had given birth to Antonia Celine Zabini on June 3, 2006. Antonia and Scorpius had been best friends since they were 3, and both families hoped nothing would change that.

"I hate to sound rude, but what are you doing here this early?" questioned Maria, baffled as to why two harried-looking Malfoys had appeared in her kitchen at 8 in the morning on a Sunday.

"Oh. Then I assume you know nothing of Scorpius' whereabouts?" Astoria's perfectly manicured brows knitted together worriedly.

"Sorry, what?" There was a pregnant pause. "My Lord! Scorpius hasn't been kidnapped, has he?" Maria gasped.

"Luckily, the situation isn't nearly _that_ dire. However, he has…err…decided to run away," Astoria clarified hurriedly.

"You've alerted the authorities, of course?" Maria asked, turning towards Draco.

"I've a private team. Can you imagine the scandal if the public got ahold of this? 'Pureblood child runs away!' Merlin known our reputation would be destroyed and clouded by lies and rumors!"

Maria rolled her eyes. However nice the Malfoys were in private, she sometimes forgot how scrutinized they were and how their 'perfect' pureblood reputation had to remain untainted.

"I'll go get Blaise," she offered, rising. Blaise worked alongside Draco in the Ministry, but not as an Auror. He worked in the Dept. of Magical Law Enforcement as an officer, and he might be able to aid in their search.

Blaise entered the room and sat at the bar stool. "Coffee?" he offered, pouring himself a cup.

"No, thank you."

"So, down to business. When did Scorpius go missing?"

"Last night, we're assuming, or _very_ early this morning," Astoria answered.

"I'm sure Lira knows. Shall we summon her?"

"That won't be necessary."

"Very well; I'll ask later."

"So…is there a particular reason Scorpius went missing?" Blaise inquired. Astoria and Draco exchanged a look. Draco grinned sheepishly while Astoria looked at her hands, abashed.

"Well, you see…"

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><p>Meanwhile, Angelo and Hermione had gotten to know each other better, and Hermione figured out he came from an elitist, influential, pureblooded family as conversation progressed. She found herself constantly feeling as it Angelo looked familiar.<p>

After a long silence Hermione smiled. "Let's go to the park!" she suggested, watching Angelo's face light up.

"Alright!" In a flash, he went to his room and changed. _His__ room_, thought Hermione with a smile. She loved the boy already, with his infectious giggle and impish smile, he truly was a gift. She frowned at the thought that eventually, she would have to return him to his parents. Angelo returned to her in a pair of khakis and a sky blue polo.

"Why are you sad, Miss Mione? We're going to the park!" He bounced up and down happily.

"Sorry? Oh no, I'm not sad, just thinking." She looked at his outfit. "Oh dear, don't you have play clothes?"

"Play clothes? I play with Antonia in these." He gestured to what he was wearing.

"Oh. Who is Antonia?" asked Hermione.

"She's my best friend." He smiled happily.

"Well, I think we need to buy you some new clothes."

"Why?" Angelo cocked his head, confused.

"I doubt you'd want to wear _those_ playing; you'd get them dirty," she explained. Angelo nodded, nut fully understanding _how_ he would get dirty, but willing to try anyways. "I think we'd find better clothes in Muggle London," she mused aloud. "Alright Angelo? You understand, right?" Angelo smiled and agreed.

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><p>*1 hour later…*<p>

Not one from shopping, Hermione was a bit unfamiliar with the assortment of shops and boutiques around Muggle London. However, she managed, stopping by a quite expensive boutique called "Boden," where she bought a few cargo shorts and cotton, short-sleeve, polos. While walking, she discovered a cute store called "Bread & Butter" that sold adorable "David & Goliath" tees. Angelo chose a few, and convinced Hermione to buy 2 matching ones. Once they finished with the clothes, she made a quick stop at Skechers, where she bought a pair of black sneakers for Angelo.

They had headed back home and quickly, Angelo changed clothes. He excitedly ran outside, dragging Hermione with him. Once he got to the park in the center of the complex, he saw many girls and boys already there, and shied away.

"Don't worry, Angelo. They're all quite nice. Oh, and the children aren't Muggles," she reminded his, as she lived in a wizarding apartment complex, "but don't be too bold about your magic." She ruffled his hair affectionately, very proud of Angelo when she discovered that he discovered how to levitate objects when the TV remote started floating towards him while they had been watching a cartoon that morning.

"OK, Miss Mione," Angelo said as he fixed his hair quickly. He grinned and then ran to join the frolicking children.

Hermione sat on a bench nearby to keep an eye on the boy, and then pulled out her paperwork. She was shortly joined by her neighbor, Gina.

"Tell me, Hermione, how did you manage to conceive, give birth to, and age a boy several years overnight?" she teased. Hermione grinned.

"Oh, I didn't give birth to him," she began. "I just got him. Haven't you heard? There's a new store called 'Boys R Us' where you can go and buy adorable boys." The two women laughed.

"Can you exchange children?" Gina asked. As the mother of two boys, she sometimes complained how she felt drained by the end of the day.

"I'm afraid not." Hermione's voice dropped from light and teasing tone to a serious one as she turned towards Gina. "Honestly, though…he, that'd be Angelo, ran away from home. I was planning on filing a report tomorrow… but… now…" Her voice drifted off.

"Angelo's just too adorable, isn't he?" Gina asked, smiling.

"Yes, and it's only been 2 days and already I love him like a son. I can't be selfish though…" she mused. "I'll ask Harry tomorrow. He'll know whether any missing persons reports have come in." As Head of the Auror department, Harry was well connected. "He's an amazing boy. Very talented too," she added as an afterthought.

"You're lucky. To have such a well-behaved child," Gina noted.

"Even though he's not mine," Hermione quickly interjected, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yes, well, trust me. Children are crazy!" Emmett and Anthony, age 8 and 5 respectively, were boisterous and noisy, but loved to have fun and were well liked. They reminded Hermione of Fred and George. "Oh dear. Angelo's befriended them. This should be interesting…."

"Angelo!" Hermione called out. He turned. "Another rule: no being mean to anyone!" He grinned, a little abashedly, as he and Emmett were about to tackle Anthony.

The two women laughed and sat the rest of the time in a comfortable silence, Hermione's pen scratching the page occasionally.

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><p>AN: I had a friend ask how Hermione doesn't recognize Scorpius. Well, Hermione only knew Draco from when he was 11, and I'm assuming that there would be a big difference between a 7-year-old and an 11-year-old's appearance. Also, he has some (softer) facial features from his mother, so that also would alter his look-alikeness. In the parts where the point of view is 3rd person limited to Malfoy's, Scorpius is still Scorpius. However, when the PoV is 3rd person limited to Hermione, Scorpius is Angelo. Just FYI, in case anyone is confused.

Reviewer Questions:

To **KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun**: My logic behind the reason for the adults' visit to the Zabinis' is that because Lira told them that Scorpius told her that he went to the Zabinis' villa, they thought Scorpius might have been lying so he could stay with the Zabinis. They weren't just going to take his word without question, right? Haha yea, from scorpion to an angel. I picture Scorpius (in this story) as an inquisitive boy who isn't exactly the perfect pureblooded child. Like in chapter 1, he didn't really like the position of authority, Master, that the house elves referred to him as. He's got a bit of Hermione embedded in him. You'll see later on ;)

To **iloveflyingmotorbikes**: Sorry about that! I guess I need to spend more time around 7-yr olds… LOL. If you're referring to the letter section, I changed it. So hopefully it's more "7-year-old level."


	4. Chapter 4: Visits, Part 2

Disclaimer: JKR owns the Harry Potter universe. I simply enjoy writing stories with my own plot.

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><p>Chapter 4: Visits; Part 2<p>

In the next few days, Hermione and Angelo had fallen into a sort of routine: waking comfortably at 9 and hanging around both Wizarding and Muggle London.

When Monday came, however, Hermione woke bright and early. Angelo begged her not to leave, but conceded when she informed him that he'd be going to Wizarding preparatory school with Emmett. Excitedly, he ran to his room to get ready. After packing his lunch, dropping him off, and promising him she'd pick him up at the end of the day, Hermione finally left for the Ministry of Magic.

She apparated to the bathrooms and flushed herself into the golden Atrium. After greeting a few of her co-workers, she walked to the Auror department on the seventh floor and knocked on Harry's door before entering.

"Good morning, Harry!" She greeted him brightly.

"Morning, 'Mione. I thought you were taking the day off?"

"Oh I am. Well, I'm working from home this week, actually." She paused. "I was just wondering… have there been any missing persons cases recently?"

"No, not as far as I know. Why?"

"No particular reason."

"Alright. Well, don't forget—Dinner at the Burrow on Saturday."

"How could I? And do you think it'd be alright for me to bring a plus one?"

"Of course! Wait…" Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Does this plus one happen to be a member of the male population?"  
>"Yes, but—"<p>

Harry held up a hand to stop Hermione from continuing.

"I won't bother asking who, but if Ginny or Molly start harassing you, don't blame me!" Harry warned.

"I'm not worried. I'm sure you'll love him."

"We'll see…"

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><p>Two floors below, Draco and Astoria Malfoy were in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. While the title of the department was rather misleading, the department also dealt with other legal issues. The reason for the Malfoys' visit fell under the 'other' category. After a long discussion with the elder Greengrasses and elder Malfoys, Draco and Astoria agreed to divorce by mutual consent; their marriage just wasn't working: Draco couldn't be the husband Astoria wanted him to be, and their constant arguing had driven Scorpius to the point where he left.<p>

Draco walked towards a desk where a woman named Claire sat. She looked up.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm looking for Miss Granger's office?" Although the former schoolmates had been far from friendly at school, he hoped that she would be professional enough to disregard that. After all, she was the best, and Draco Malfoy _had_ to have the best.

"Last door down the hallway to your left." Draco quickly marched down the hallway, Astoria trailing close behind. Stopping at the glass-paneled mahogany door, he raised his hand and knocked thrice in quick succession.

"Come in," came an unfamiliar voice. They entered, surprised to see not Hermione Granger, but instead, a straight-haired brunette named Sophie. "May I help you?"

"Yes. I was wondering whether I could speak with Miss Granger?"

"I'm afraid she isn't in. Do you have an appointment?"

"Err… no. When will she be back?"

"Next week, most likely."

"Where is she, may I ask?"

"I'm afraid I cannot disclose that information. Is your matter urgent?"

"Yes, quite," answered Draco and Astoria simultaneously.

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until 2 weeks from now. All of this week's appointments have been rescheduled to the next, in addition to the ones of that week. What is the manner of your situation?"

"We are seeking legal aid in…personal matters. We'd like the best, and Hermione Granger is the best, no?"

"Yes, she is. However, Mr. Jameson is also quite acclaimed, I assure you. So if your situation is impertinent, you may schedule an appointment with him. His office is across the hall."

"Thank you." Draco paused when he was halfway out the door. He turned his head back in. "May I write a quick note to her?"

"Of course." Sophie reached for a notepad and pen and pushed it towards him on the countertop. The muggle invention had recently been implemented in the Ministry, after a few influential muggle-borns and half-bloods introduced them to the current Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Draco scribbled a quick note, bid farewell, and exited.

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><p>Richard Jameson was a kind, middle-aged man, with salt-and-pepper hair. He had a kind smile and greeted the Malfoys warmly.<p>

"Now, what may I help you with, Mister and Missus Malfoy?"

"We'd like legal aid," began Draco.

"As I presumed, seeing as how you're here." He indicated.

"Yes, but we need you to sign a confidentiality agreement."

"Why, may I ask?"

"Gossip. Tabloids. We'd like to keep this as discreet and private as possible until it is complete."

"Alright. And what would the consequences of telling be?"

"You essentially wouldn't be able to speak nor write, or by any other means of communication, of it. It has the same effect as a Tongue-Tying Curse about that specific topic until we null the contract and/or the task is completed. Also, if you communicate about the topic, all payments are returned to us."

"Very well." He pulled out a pen and touched the paper in the glowing, yellow box. He knew the glowing, yellow box signified a binding contract of permanence—there were no loopholes, and any possible discovered loopholes were to be considered void.

Once Mr. Jameson signed all of the glowing, yellow boxes, he turned again to the Malfoys. "I assume this issue is either quite controversial or dangerous for this level of security." He gestured around the room, where Draco had cast numerous wards.

"The former, if you will," he replied. "We have, by mutual consent, agreed to a divorce."

Jameson was surprised to say the least, but he didn't let it show. He now realized the reason for the confidentiality agreement: the tabloids, namely Rita Skeeter, would be fighting to dig their claws into a story like this!

"I see. Is there a particular reason for this…mutual agreement?" he questioned.

"We'd like to keep that matter private," said Draco rather tensely.

"Of course. Well, I'll just start drawing up a contract. I'd like you to create an…inventory of sorts, if you will, of things that both of you will take or split, or whatever you decide to do." Jameson paused. "You have a child, yes?"

"Yes, we do," replied Astoria. She had kept quiet throughout the meeting. Jameson's eyes flickered between Astoria and Draco, who both sat rather stiffly.

"Have you decided which of you will keep him?" Jameson asked tentatively, delicate of the situation.

"No," they both replied simultaneously.

"Very well." Jameson had the feeling he wasn't getting the full story; however, he knew it was not his place to question that. "I can get that contract to you in a week's time. How does that sound?"

"Fine. We'll come and review it then" said Draco. "We'll owl ahead."

"Alright. That'll do for now. I'll see you next week."

"Thank you," said Draco, as they exited the office.

Jameson sighed and rubbed his temples. He knew this process would be a long, tiring, and difficult one. His wife would _not_ be pleased. _Where was Hermione Granger when you needed her?_ he thought rather exasperatedly. He pulled out a piece of parchment and penned a quick note to the head of the department, William Cromwell, telling him he was unavailable for the next few weeks. He sighed again. It was going to be one hell of a divorce.

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><p>AN: What do you think? Sorry, it was more of a filler chapter. But the Burrow will be next, and Angelo shall be introduced to the Weasleys!


	5. Chapter 5: Revelations, Part 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sadly. Though without JKR, Harry Potter would not have existed. So to her, I am eternally thankful.

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><p>Chapter 5: Revelations, Part 1 (Dinner at the Burrow)<p>

Saturday arrived, the day of dinner at the Burrow. After helping Angelo complete his homework from school, Hermione brought Angelo to eat at a muggle café before taking a stroll in the park. At 3:30, they returned home, and after a quick bath for Angelo, Hermione and Angelo flooed to the Burrow, a fresh batch of brownies in hand.

Molly, still jolly and vibrant as ever, bustled into the room to greet them, Ginny close on her heels. "So, where is he?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

"Yes, where?" repeated Molly.

"Who?" voiced Hermione.

"Your plus one, of course!" exclaimed Ginny.

A voice interrupted.

"Miss Mione, can I go play now?" said Angelo, who until then, had been hiding behind Hermione's legs.

"Of course! Go play with James and Albus," said Hermione. Ginny's eyes popped open as Angelo ran off.

"Wh-what? _He's_ your plus one?" she exclaimed, shocked senseless.

"Yes, what would make you think otherwise?"

"Bu-but Harry said—" Ginny spluttered.

"Well, yes, I told him my plus ones was, in his words, 'a member of the male population,' however, I never specified Angelo's age," explained Hermione.

Molly interrupted. "My god! Angelo? What a cute name! The boy's adorable!"

Hermione giggled. "Yes, Angelo's an absolute darling! I love him!" Harry came into view as the three women exited the house.

"Ah…so who exactly are we loving? Where is he, anyways?" He asked, a grin on his face.

"He, it so happens to be, is a young boy names Angelo," said Ginny, glaring at Harry.

"Sorry," he shrugged, not seeming sorry at all.

Ginny let out an undignified snort. "Now shoo! Hermione has some explaining to do," said Ginny, shooting said woman a pointed look.

"Right. I'll just…err… go help George and Bill set up, shall I?" With that, Harry and Molly excused themselves.

Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her into the living room, where Angelina and Fleur sat already. After plopping Hermione unceremoniously in an armchair, she glared and demanded an explanation. Angelina and Fleur listened in with rapt interest.

"So, you say you found ze boy?" clarified Fleur. Her English had improved dramatically, thought there were still some irrevocable remains of French.

"Ah, yes."

"Well, I for one find it quite odd that no one's filed a missing person's report yet!" interjected Angelina.

"Yea, I know," replied Hermione. "Though I wonder, maybe Harry doesn't know?"

"Well, he might not, seeing as how he's an Auror. Perhaps your head might know, 'Mione," said Ginny.

"Yes, maybe. I'll write Mr. Cromwell tomorrow…" Her voice trailed off awkwardly. "So…uhh, how are you guys? Children treating you well?"

And with that the silence was broken, and the women laughed and giggled and gossiped until they were interrupted by the arrival of Penelope Clearwater, Percy's wife, and their children, followed by Ron and his wife, Amanda MacAlister, a Scottish witch he had met at a Quidditch match and their children, Madeleine and Harrison, 4 and 7, respectively. Lavender had thrown a hiss fit when she found out he had moved on after their "break" from their relationship, and had been shunned ever since.

The women helped with the cooking until they had finished, and allowed Molly to do the honors of serving. Before they sat down, the children came running in, followed by trails of mud and creek water.

"James," scolded Ginny, "I _told_ you to stay away from the creek!"

Albus and Angelo had followed, obviously. Albus, who was soaked to his knees in water and mud, was not allowed inside, while Ginny quickly apparated back to the Potter residence to pick up a new pair of pants. Ginny rolled her eyes and whispered, "Lucky!" rather indignantly when she discovered Hermione could easily fix Angelo's pants with a few strong _Tergeo_s and _Scourgify_s.

While the children sat together on one side of the table, the adults sat on the other allowing Ginny to constantly both Hermione about Angelo and his perfection.

As the dessert came out, Ginny's eyes widened in revelation.

"My god! Hermione, doesn't he remind you of Draco Malfoy?" she whispered, as she took a cauldron cake. Hermione tilted her head in pondering.

"Well, I suppose there _is_ a bit of a resemblance, though Angelo's hair is more a medium blonde, think, as opposed to Malfoy's platinum blonde, and his eyes are more blue. Like Dumbledore's blue, instead of that grayish-blue Malfoy had. And his personality is _nothing_ like Malfoy's," Hermione concluded.

"You've only known Draco since you were 11. How old is Angelo?"

"Seven, replied Hermione automatically. "Your point being?"

"Well, you never know what Malfoy was like at 7," said Ginny.

"Somehow, I doubt he had a pleasant childhood, much less one where he could play and laugh freely," said Hermione, sarcasm evident in her voice.

"True," conceded Ginny. "But still…"

After dinner was finished and dessert cleared, the adults left with their respective spouses and children. Hermione and Angelo flooed home, as Angelo was now exhausted. As Hermione was tucking Angelo into bed, she looked at Angelo's peaceful face endearingly.

"Darling, what did you think of the Weasleys?"

"I like them," came Angelo's sleepy reply. "I like Albus a lot. He's fun, like Emmett. I like Mrs. Molly, too. She doesn't use house elves. I like that…" Angelo yawned and closed his eyes. Soon, his head lolled to the side, leaving Hermione to wonder, was Angelo's father Draco Malfoy? Could her darling Angelo truly be a _Malfoy_?

* * *

><p>Sunday, Hermione informed Angelo, would be her last day off. Angelo, surprisingly, didn't mind, seeing as how he adored school. He had made many new friends already, the charmer he was.<p>

Hermione took Angelo out for a picnic in Muggle London with Gina, Emmett, and Anthony. After the picnic, the five of them went to a movie theatre, which Angelo was unfamiliar with, and watched Kung Fu Panda 2. Afterwards, Angelo couldn't stop talking about the movie—though it took a while for him to grasp the concept of "filming" _without_ a camera (he knew what _that_ was), which Hermione had to explain after a detailed explanation of computers. As precocious as Angelo was, he had difficulty grasping the concept of Muggle technology, though he didn't really mind, nor care.

By the end of the day, Hermione and Angelo both were exhausted. She smiled as Angelo fell asleep in the taxi home. She levitated him in the elevator up to the 11th floor after they walked, well, actually, after she carried Angelo past the portal into the wizarding world.

Hermione fell asleep dreaming of fallen angels and a mystery just begging to be solved, though she wasn't sure whether she _wanted_ to solve it. Little did she know she had to do almost nothing; she just simply had to ask the right person.

* * *

><p>AN: Comments? Next chapter is when Hermione gets a little (or huge) push in the right direction.


	6. Chapter 6: Revelations, Part 2

Disclaimer: JKR owns everything but the plot.

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Revelations, Part 2<p>

Monday morning found Hermione and Angelo awake at 8AM. Hermione had awoken at 7 to prepare everything, seeing as how she wanted Angelo to rest a bit more. After dropping of Angelo at school, Hermione apparated to the Ministry's entrance and traveled under.

She greeted Sophie before walking into her office with strict instructions that no one interrupt her unless urgent. As much as she hated to admit it, she had not made much headway pertaining to the Lestrange case. As she was sorting through her mail, she spotted an unexpected note, dated September 4th, exactly a week ago. From who? Draco Malfoy, of all people! Apparently, he had visited the office. For what reason, she didn't know, though she supposed she'd find out.

Nervously and excitedy, Hermione unfolded the note.

"_Hello Miss. Granger,_

_ I came here seeking legal aid in personal matters. However, seeing as how you were not here, it is now being looked over by Mr. Jameson. I was wondering if you would be willing to transfer it under your supervision, as I am confident you would do the best. I'm afraid I cannot tell you on paper, as it would be most unwise for me to do so. If you would be so kind as to assist me, or at least hear what I have to ask, please send me an owl back so we may schedule a time to meet to discuss this matter._

_ Thank you._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Draco Malfoy_"

Hermione was surprised, to say the least. Who would have ever imagined the day _Draco Malfoy_ would be asking for aid from her, much less admitting she was the best? Granted, he himself was not included, but still! She scribbled back a reply.

"_Draco—_

_ I'm flattered that you think I am most capable of handling your case. I'm curious as to what your case constitutes. I'm available during work hours Monday-Friday, though I arrive typically around 8:30, and leave about 3. If you are not available during those hours, I understand, and another time may be schedules; however, work days are still best for me._

_ Thank you._

_ Cordially,_

_ Hermione Granger_"

She sent it out with her owl, Wulfric, whom she acquired after Crookshanks passed away 3 years ago. After that, she sorted through a few bills she filed away for later, and set down to work on the case diligently.

Lunchtime came, and Sophie dropped off a sandwich and iced tea for Hermione to eat while she worked. She paused in mid-examination of some records as she remembered something! She hastily closed the file and grabbed her tea before exiting to a slightly confused Sophie.

Her heels clacked loudly down the empty hallway. She walked to Mr. Cromwell's office, and as luck would have it, he was in! Hermione tentatively knocked on the door. Mr. Cromwell was known for being rather bipolar—some times, he was a stingy man; at others, he was as amiable as Mr. Weasley! She hoped he was in one of his better moods.

"Come in," he said. Hermione pushed open the door with a half-smile on her face. Mr. Cromwell smiled back. It seemed he was in one of his better moods.

"Hello sir," she began. "I was wondering, if any missing persons' reports have come in during the past month? Just wondering…"

"Hmm…well, there's been some news of a few Muggle disappearances, which I'm sure you've heard of. For instance, the two muggle disappearances in Austria; and of course, the young wizarding couples' disappearance in Switzerland while climbing the Alps. The Swiss Ministry insists it was merely natural causes, but I'm not so sure, seeing as how they were of magical blood. But here, no, there have not." He paused. "Why?"

"Well…the reason I've been out is because…," Hermione's voice drifted off. "I found a young boy very recently and I've been taking care of him." She finished in a rush.

"Alright, then, I supposed you ought to fill out a missing person's form. Here." Mr. Cromwell pushed a form towards Hermione, surprisingly calm. "Fill it out and return it to me once you're done. Well I'm glad you're back." A letter flew through door, narrowly missing Hermione's head. Mr. Cromwell broke the seal and scanned the letter, a look of disgust apparent on his face. "Wizengamot needs to get a new Chief Warlock! All the indecision about the cases—it's insane! Get back to work, Miss Granger!"

_'Oh dear, another bipolar fit,"_ Hermione thought. She turned back cautiously as she was heading out. "Sir, I was wondering…may I look at those records of missing persons' in Europe? I've an idea pertaining to the Lestrange case," she explained.

"Sure. But get it back to me as soon as you can!" Mr. Cromwell demanded. "Now shoo! I've _another_ case to attend to." He rolled his eyes.

"Of course." She grabbed the 12-inch-thick stack of manila folders and marched back to her office. "Sophie? Could you get two of those maps of Europe and a box of pins?"

"Yes, right away, ma'am." She scurried off. Hermione sat at the table and began scanning the files. After she looked at 1 of the 48 files, Sophie returned. Hermione magicked the maps onto a wall and began writing the dates, times, and locations of each of the disappearances and deaths on sticky notes. She then pinned the muggle disappearances on one map with white pins and the wizarding ones on the other map with blue pins. She had gotten through 4 of the files by the time it was 3 o'clock. So far, there seemed to be no pattern to the attacks, though they all moved in a generally eastward pattern. She had no idea what that indicated though. However, she decided she would need to inform Blaise, her partner in the Lestrange case, about this new development. After placing a few Sticking Charms on the map, she took it off the wall, rolled it up, and _Reducio_'ed it so it fit into her purse. Then, she took the 12 of the files, and called it a day.

"Thanks, Sophie. I'm going to leave now," announced Hermione.

"Alright. See you tomorrow, Miss Granger." Hermione exited her office and locked her door before heading into the Atrium and exiting the Ministry. While the majority of Ministry officials left around 6, Hermione and quite a number of other workers had to leave earlier—unbeknownst to most, Hermione now had a little boy to take care of!

* * *

><p>Hermione apparated back to the apartment and dropped off her work stuff before flooing to the wizarding school to pick up Angelo. As she stepped out into the Traveling Room, Angelo bounded in to meet her.<p>

"Miss Mione! Miss Mione! Can I have a sleepover with Emmett? Can I? Can I?" Angelo pleaded, his eyes wide with excitement. Just then, Gina was dragged in by an equally excited Emmett.

"What is this I hear of a sleepover?" Gina asked.

"Mummy, can Angelo come over today?" begged Emmett. Gina looked up at Hermione.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"Well, I don't particularly mind," replied Hermione. "I've things to do. So if it's alright with you, then it's alright with me."

"I don't mind taking the kids for a night," said Gina. "Why don't you go home with Miss Mione, Angelo, and get your stuff? Then Hermione'll bring you over."

"OK," agreed Angelo. "Come on, Miss Mione! Let's go home!" said Angelo, tugging her hand impatiently.

"Alright, alright!" Hermione grabbed ahold of his hand and disappeared in a flash of green flames, followed by Gina and Emmett.

* * *

><p>After packing a duffel bag for Angelo, Hermione led the way to Gina's apartment, Angelo bouncing excitedly beside her. Hermione lifted her finger to press the doorbell, but before she had even touched it, the door was flung open by an equally excited Emmett. Angelo jumped out from behind Hermione and followed Emmett into Gina's apartment.<p>

Gina arrived at the door. "Hey, Mione! I'll just take that from you," she said, indicating Angelo's duffel. Hermione passed it over.

"Where will they be sleeping?" asked Hermione.

"Oh, in Emmett and Anthony's room." Emmett and Anthony shared a room, and had a bunk bed. "There's a trolley under Anthony's bed," replied Gina.

"Alright. Well, I'll leave then in your capable hands! I'll come pick up Angelo at 8:30, shall I?"

"Oh, no need! Just bring over his school stuff, and I'll just drop him off at school. Emmett and Angelo have _soo_ much fun with him, anyways!" Gina paused again. "Any news about his parents?"

"No, I asked both Harry and my head, Mr. Cromwell. Both inquiries turned up with nothing."

"Well, that _could_ be good… Isn't it like after…what is it? Two weeks? You can apply for custody?"

"A month. Plus I feel a bit…I dunno…_bad_ about it because he deserves to be with his parents. Though, you'd think my now, they would've filed a report. They mustn't have been very good parents if he ran away. Anyways, I ought to go now; I've work to do."

"OK. See you later!" Gina gave Hermione a hug before closing the door. Hermione walked back to her apartment and gathered her work things once more before flooing to the Zabini Villa. She needed to have a talk with Blaise.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Maria," greeted Hermione. "Do you know where Blaise is?"<p>

"Oh! Hello Hermione! Blaise is in his office. Have you got new information for the case?"

"Hopefully. I'm not certain about the connection, but it seems rather significant."

"That's great!" Maria turned and shouted up the stairs, "Hurry up Antonia! You'll be late to your visit with your _abuela_! And you know how much she doesn't like it!" Hermione waved goodbye before turning and walking down the hallway that led to Blaise's office. '_Antonia…where have I heard that name before?'_ she thought. Then she remembered with a jolt! _'Angelo! He mentioned that his best friend was Antonia! Perhaps I'll get a better clue now as to whom his parents are…'_

Hermione raised her hand, about to knock on the door, when she heard a voice issuing from inside the room. It sounded familiar.

"Blaise, have you heard any news about Scorpius?" The voice seemed really worried. Hermione paused, and couldn't help but listen in.

"No, I'm sorry Draco, but no one's filled out a report yet. I'll check again later, but…" Hermione almost gasped in surprise! It was _Draco Malfoy_ and he had a _missing person_! Was Angelo really Scorpius? _What a terrible name!_ she thought, then giggled silently to herself. She missed a bit of the conversation as she thought to herself, and when she tuned back in, she realized Draco and Blaise had turned to more mundane topics. After making a bit of noise to signal her approachment, Hermione finally knocked on the door.

"I hate to disturb you, Blaise, but-oh! Hello Draco!" Hermione greeted, feigning surprise. "I got your note, how does Wednesday at noon sound to you?"

"I'm afraid I'm unavailable at that time. What about after work that day?" Draco suggested. Hermione paused, looking unsure of herself. Blaise found it very odd—Hermione had never hesitated to do anything for work before.

"What time?" she asked hesitantly.

"Perhaps 5:30?" Draco suggested.

"I have an idea. Why don't we just go out before work tomorrow and grab a coffee? We can talk then." Hermione suggested instead.

"I think that'll do. What time?"

"Whenever you're available," said Hermione.

"It may take a while," warned Draco. "How about 7:30?"

"Sure. No problem. Alright, well, would you mind leaving me to talk with Blaise? You're welcome to stay, of course; the information has to do with missing persons' cases. I feel like it may tie in with some rogue ex-Death Eaters, yourself excluded, of course," she jokingly explained.

"Nah…I know when I'm unwanted. Talk to you later, Blaise?"

"Sure." Blaise turned towards Hermione and prompted her to sit as soon as Draco had disappeared in a burst of green flames through the Floo, headed home, presumably. She pulled out both maps, enlarged them, and proceeded to explain her suspicions to Blaise.

"OK. So the blue pins are where members of the wizarding community have either gone missing or killed. Light blue is missing, dark blue is killed. The muggle community is white/black pins; black is death, of course, and white is missing. Attached are sticky notes with the date, place, number of people missing/ killed, and a reference to the file number for more info. Care to help?" Hermione explained

"Of course I'll help, though I was assuming our case work would be pertaining to the Lestranges'case…?"

"Yes. See, I have a hunch that all these missing/killed people may have a sort of pattern. But, the files aren't organized. So once we do this, we might get a better idea about the pattern. I've only gotten through a few of the files, but if you look, they all move in a sort of north-eastern or eastern direction. I want to see where that leads to. And perhaps, that location will be the next location of the attackers. If you read through the files, you notice that many of the deaths have similar autopsies. By the Ministries of Magic and Muggle officials, both."

"Alright. Do you have some of the files?"

"Yea, there are a total of 48 files, all about a ¼ inch thick."

"Ughh…" Blaise interrupted. Hermione glared at him.

"Anyways, I've gotten through 4 already. We can split them up. I have 12 with me, so you should take 6 and I'll take 6."She paused. "Actually, do you want Muggle or Wizarding?"

"Which has less?" Hermione glared at him. "Joking! I'll take Wizarding."

"Alright. So, take this map and these pins…oh and these sticky notes! And these files, of course." Tell me once you're done. It's a pain. I'll just take these 5 files back and work on them back home."

"Sure. No prob. Talk to you later?"

"Of course. Bye Blaise." With that, Hermione flooed back to her spacious apartment and ordered Chinese take-out before working on the case. She went to bed with many thoughts floating around in her head, but the most prominent being '_I've pretty much ascertained that Angelo __is__ Scorpius… but how do I break it to Draco? And do I really want to?_'

* * *

><p>Draco fell asleep thinking of Hermione, just as she was of him. But his thoughts had floated elsewhere. <em>'Is that gorgeous woman really Granger? The buck-toothed, frizzy-haired, teacher's pet from school?<em>' He felt a sort of undeniable attraction towards the petite brunette, though she was neither buck-toothed nor frizzy-haired anymore. And according to Blaise, Hermione _still_ was one of the best in the Ministry—she always had to be on top, besting him in every course. Except Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Potter had bested him—that was even worse! Yet, _still_, Hermione was a girl no longer. And Draco couldn't deny that either. All thoughts of his worrisome search for Scorpius had all but dissipated; instead, they focused on Hermione. He wished that she would agree to take the case, as Mr. Jameson was being a pain, and unprofessional. His last thought before he fell into an uncomfortable slumber: _Does Granger feel the same? I supposed I'll find out tomorrow…_

* * *

><p>AN 1: Sorry for the long wait! I hope the long(ish) chapter makes up for it! It was unnaturally difficult to write. Ick. Hopefully I can get another one out by next week.

A/N 2: Did anyone watch the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2? Didn't Emma look STUNNING in her dress? As did Clémence Poésy (Fleur Delacour) and JKR! Tom looked really yummy during the press conference ^-^ 3 5 more days until the international release! 1 more day until the NYC premiere!


	7. Chapter 7: A Conflict of Interest

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. JKR is the queen of the Harry Potter universe!

A/N: I'm changing Gina's name to Nina to avoid any confusion with Ginny. I did that completely unintentionally!

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: A Conflict of Interest<p>

Hermione woke up at 6 the next morning. As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted to look nice for Draco. _'No, not for Draco,'_ she mentally berated herself. _'It's not a big deal; besides, he's married.'_ Nevertheless, she went to take a shower, already missing Angelo's morning greetings. She magically shaved before walking into her relatively small closet. She decided on a high-waisted, professional-looking, black, Oscar de la Renta pencil skirt she had splurged on during a shopping trip with Ginny, who claimed she looked amazing in it. She grabbed a mulberry-colored, silk, Ralph Lauren dress shirt she loved, which had ½ sleeves, mock-pearl buttons, and a large bow adorning the scoopneck. Then, using her wand, Hermione twisted her hair into her signature bun, but wrapped a brain around it and let a few tendrils hang loose. After that, she donned pearl studs, a simple silver/crystal watch, and her signature silver pinky diamond ring, her coming-of-age gift from her mother. She then exited her bedroom, and found it was 7:06. She grabbed her files and map and shrunk them to fit in her black leather briefcase, in addition to grabbing a few cookies to eat later, in case she got hungry. After donning nude stockings and black patent leather heels, Hermione grabbed Angelo's school bag and lunch and flooed to Nina's apartment , before walking to the apparation point disapparating to the café she agreed to meet Draco at, Café d'Etoile.

Hermione arrived 7 minutes early and sat at an outdoor table. A waitress came over, and she ordered un café au lait and un chocolate chaud. She had no idea how Draco took his coffee, but ordered un café noir for him, in addition to a basket of baguette with strawberry jam and butter. Draco arrived fashionably late, as usual, just as Hermione received their order.

"I hope one of those is for me?" Draco asked in a teasing tone as he made his way to the table where she sat. _'Damn! She looks hot!'_ he thought to himself, before banishing those thought to the furthest recesses of his mind. He smiled, though it came out as a sort of a grimace.

"Uhm…Yes!" Hermione exclaimed, too preoccupied with ogling Draco's muscles underneath his silvery-colored shirt. She snapped out of her trance and pushed the black coffee towards him. "I had no idea how you took you coffee…so…"

"No problem. I always have it black," Draco took the coffee and sat down, taking a baguette slice and covering it in butter. He gestured for a waitress.

"What may I get you?" she asked flirtatiously, with a heavy French accent. Draco rolled his eyes He was a married man! Though he wouldn't be for long, if he had any say in the matter.

"Deux muffins cerises et deux scones aux framboises, s'il vous plaît," Draco asked in flawless French.

"Oui, bien sûr," she said, before walking away.

"Muffins and scones?" asked Hermione suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. How did he know cherry muffins and raspberry scones were her favorite?

"Yes, do you have a problem with it?" Draco asked nonchalantly, feigning disinterest. Though he'd never admit it, he had been observing Hermione walking to her office, oftentimes with a hot drink and either a scone or muffin in hand. A few times, he had been in the café when her assistant…Sarah? Sophia? Whatever her name was, ordered either a raspberry scone or cherry muffin for her boss, if Hermione came in late.

"N-no! Of course not," Hermione stammered.

"They're my favorites anyway, and I think you'll enjoy them," he lied. While they were very delicious, he preferred the fruit tarts.

"Alright. So about what you wanted to discuss… Would you like to start now?" she inquired.

"Let's wait for the food." Once the muffins and scones arrived, Draco leaned back in his chair and took a sip of coffee. "What I'm about to tell you needs to be kept in the strictest confidence, whether or not you agree to take it on," Draco said, leaning in to whisper. Hermione looked surprised but nodded and took out her wand and waved it a few times before putting it away. Draco looked at her peculiarly. "What'd you just do?" he asked, as he didn't see or feel a change in anything.

"Oh, just a handy spell Harry discovered in 6th year that hinders eavesdroppers."

"I see. Anyways, if you would sign this contract that prevents you from speaking about it, we can begin."

"And the…ahh 'insurance policy'? I don't normally sign random contracts, you know," she teased.

"It's pretty much just a selective Tongue-Tying Curse…" he said, not willing to go into extensive explanation.

"Clever—"

"Who would've thought, the day Hermione Granger complimented me," he said with a smirk. Hermione threw him a pointed glare.

"Who would've thought, the day Draco Malfoy came to Hermione Granger asking for help of all things," she countered.

"Touché!"

"Anyways, before I was oh so rudely interrupted, I was going to ask how it was 'selective.'"

"Well, if you mention anything of the case really, besides for a few exceptions like whom you're working for and impersonal things, you will be subjected to the curse of 5 minutes. It will no longer apply once the case is completed, or if we void it."

"I see." Hermione signed the contract and said, "So, we ought to begin." She leaned forward expectantly.

"Well…you know my wife Astoria, correct?" he began.

"By name only, but yes."

Draco took a deep breath before continuing on. "We haven't been getting along lately, if you know what I mean." Hermione nodded. "And we've decided to a split," he finished rather hurriedly.

"Oh! A divorce?" Hermione looked relieved.

"SHH!"

Hermione glared at him. "I told you I put up a spell already, unless you doubt either my sincerity or my aptitude with magic."

"No, neither."

"I just thought…the way you were going on, like, I dunno…you injured her or something!"

"I would _never_ abuse a woman," Draco said, dead serious.

Hermione was taken aback by the severity of his tone. She blinked rapidly before saying, "Well, you want me to take the case, I presume."

"Yes!" said Draco, looking relieved. "Jameson is intolerable! I'll just have his assistant transfer the papers to Sarah—"

"Sophie," said Hermione sharply.

"Sure, whatever," said Draco, brushing it off. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Hermione cut him off.

"Wait, so you say Mr. Jameson has already begun a drafting of the contract?"

"Don't you know how rude it is to interrupt?" said Draco irritatedly. "But, yes, he has."

Hermione giggled. "You obviously don't know much about law, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked rather dumbly.

"You can't transfer cases if you've already had someone start it."

"What?" he shouted. "I've helped at the family firm before, and the lawyers have done it loads of times!"

"That is understandable. However, business contracts are a bit different. They are allowed to be transferred due to the nature of the work. Also, all you lawyers transferred contracts _within_ Malfoy Enterprises, correct?"

"Yea, but they've sent it to other companies!"

"Of course. But, those companies haven't had control over the cases, have they? They merely are able to review it and sign it. I _could_ look over any contract, but I wouldn't be able to edit or write it without writing a note to the lawyer or lawyers in charge. Plus, personal contracts are quite different from business contracts. Business contracts allow for outside sources to read it, due to the mass of people involved. But, personal contracts are only between the lawyer and the clientele."

Draco still had the expression of someone who'd just been stunned.

"I'm afraid I can't help you there, Draco." She smiled apologetically.

"I see." He stood to leave, but paused as he recalled Blaise's words from last evening: _'I'm afraid it's almost too late. If someone hasn't filed a report by now, it's a bit dubious that they will. You can't just count on the goodness of a person to just file a report. You dunno what could've happened to Scorpius by now. Maybe you need to expand beyond that fail of a PI team…Get the Aurors involved, maybe more of the Law Enforcement officials. _Draco snapped out of his reverie and saw Hermione staring at him with a peculiar look on her face. He lifted his hand to check if there was something on his face. There wasn't. Hermione giggled again. "What?" he exclaimed.

"You just kinda spaced out there for a while…" she said, smiling.

"Oh," said Draco, a bit embarrassedly.

"Oh my! Look at the time! We ought to go!" said Hermione upon seeing the time on her watch: 8:17 A.M.

"Of course," Draco signaled for the cheque. He slapped down 2 galleons and grabbed Hermione's hand and almost dragged her to the Ministry's entrance, but not before wrapping her scone in a napkin.

"Meet me in my office in 30," said Draco, with a steely glint in his eye. She nodded, slightly bewildered. After flushing herself into the Atrium (they really ought to develop a different way!) Hermione marched into her office and unpacked quickly, before grabbing a notepad and pen and going to Draco's office.

* * *

><p>Once Draco arrived at the floor of the Auror Department, he dropped off his stuff and called for Blaise. Blaise arrived looking a bit confused.<p>

"I've taken your advice," said Draco. Blaise _still_ had no idea what Draco was talking about until Hermione entered the room. Thus, Draco and Blaise began Draco's story, about his search for his missing son, and how they needed help.

As the conversation progressed, Hermione became more panicked (she carefully hid her emotions, however). _Scorpius…could be Angelo! It's now even more likely!_

"Draco…do you have a picture of the boy?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes. Here." Draco pulled out a photograph of his son, Scorpius. Hermione took it in her hand and looked down. It was her Angelo!

* * *

><p>AN1: According to JKR, 1 galleon= 5 pounds. So, 10 pounds is about $16.10. :]

own. It was her Angelo!

graph of his son, Scorpius. Hermione took it in her hand and looekd , however). raco'story, into her o

A/N2: Hehehe… cliffie! OK, well I'll be working on "Runaway" while I'm at camp. Sorry (in advance) for being absent! I promise to write a lot! Please Read and Review! 3


	8. Chapter 8: Confessions, Part 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. And I never will. ;(

A/N: Ack! I'm so sorry for the lateness! I've been really busy getting stuff ready for back-to-school: I'm a rising freshman. :/ (BTW, any advice would be appreciated)

Chapter 8: Confessions, Part 1

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><p>The next day, Draco went with Astoria to get Mr. Jameson to complete the contract, as much as Draco wished rules would've allowed Hermione to do it. After Draco paid a greedy Mr. Jameson an extra 100 galleons, Mr. Jameson promised that the contract would be finished by Thursday evening, the 18th. Draco was kind of annoying, what with all the paperwork and what not. That had been one of the reasons he allowed his father to maintain control of Malfoy Enterprises—Draco didn't mind the responsibility, and most certainly not the power, but he had no patience for tedious tasks.<p>

As Draco apparated back, he was pleased to note the elves were close to finished packing Astoria's things. She would be moving back to one of her family's vacation homes, a luxurious villa on the shores of Sicily.

Draco walked into the master suite, which was now nearly empty, besides for the furniture. He noted her closed was empty, as were her dresser drawers. The house elves, while dim-witted, had noticed something wrong with Master and Mistress Malfoy recently, which had only escalated since the young Master's disappearance. Some supported the Master, while others favored the Mistress, though those elves were younger and less loyal to the Malfoy family. One such was Flora, a young house elf who almost _worshipped_ Astoria.

Draco summoned her.

"Yes Master? What may Flora do for yous?"

"I'm dismissing you—" he began.

"No! Please no, Master Draco! Flora only wishes to serve!" she pleaded.

"Quiet. I wasn't done speaking." Flora looked down, slightly ashamed. "As I was saying, I'm dismissing you to work for Mistress Astoria. You no longer serve the Malfoy family, but the Greengrass family." Flora bowed and thanked Draco before apparating out of the room.

The house elves finished packing Astoria's belongings, and vanished them to the Sicilian villa in which Astoria would be staying. Draco took it as his cue to leave the bedroom. He walked downstairs to bid Astoria farewell; if nothing, he had been raised with manners. He kissed her on both cheeks and looked at Astoria, _truly_ looked. Her visage was paler and no longer had that marble-like perfection. Her eyes were redder than usual, and her irises no longer sparkled. She even had wrinkles between her brows from worrying! Draco clasped Astoria's hands within his own and looked at her with a small smile.

"The sun will be good for you. Relax," he said.

Astoria smiled and nodded halfheartedly.

"I'll contact you if I get any news about Scorpius," he said.

"No," she shook her head vigorously. To Draco's confused look, she explained. "As much as I love you both…I…I can't bear the pain anymore. I…Just…Let him know his mummy truly does love him. Could you give him this?" She retrieved a letter from her handbag with a wistful smile on her face.

"Of course."

"Goodbye, Draco." With that, Astoria was whisked away to the Ministry, where she would take the International Portkey to Sicily.

Draco sat on the bed in his master suite. It felt…off. As though the feeling of inhabitance almost left with Astoria. He no longer wished to stay in the home and quickly contacted a real estate agent about purchasing a new apartment.

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><p>Hermione wrung her hands, frantic with worry. She had kept quiet the night before while with Draco, but she didn't know how long she could go without telling him. She rushed home after work, and told Angelo they'd be paying someone a visit…<p>

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><p>Ginny heard the quiet pop of someone apparating into her home as she was fixing Lily's hair. "Ginny?" a voice called.<p>

"Up here!" she shouted back.

"Owww! Mummy! You pulled my hair!" Lily glared and pouted at Ginny.

"I'm sorry, dear. You know I didn't mean it."

"Ginny?" said Hermione, popping her head into Lily's bedroom.

"Hello, 'Mione," said Ginny.

"Hi, Auntie Mione!" said Lily happily, launching herself into Hermione's arms.

"Hey sweetie," said Hermione, her smiling not quite reaching her eyes. Ginny noticed this, and said, "'Mione, you okay?"

"I—yes. I'm fine, I just need to talk to you."

"Sure. Lily, can you go play with James and Albus?"

"Okay Mummy." Hermione let Lily down and let her run off.

"Oh, by the way, Angelo is down with them, if you don't mind."

"No, of course not!" There was a pause. "It's about him, isn't it?"

"Yes." Hermione's eyes were downcast.

"…do you know who Angelo's father is?" asked Ginny.

"Yes," came out Hermione's strangled reply, as she fought back tears. "I-it's terrible! I can't just _lie_ to him and say I don't know where his son is, bu-but I love Angelo so much!" she wailed, on the verge of a breakdown.

Ginny wrinkled her brow. "Uh…_who_ are we talking about, exactly?"

"D-Draco Malfoy! Oh, you were right, Gin! Angelo _is_ Scorpius!"

Ginny had no words of comfort, as she too was in shock.

"How-how do you know for certain?"

"He-he _told_ me! He came asking for help with his d-" Hermione grasped her throat and mentally cursed herself for almost letting _that_ one slip. Ginny looked alarmed and summoned a glass of water. Hermione shook her head and pulled out a notepad.

_"Can't talk,"_ she wrote. _"Legal issues I forgot I can't speak about. Will be OK in 5 min."_

Ginny nodded understandingly and passed the time by tidying up Lily's room.

"I'm sorry—he came asking for help with some legal issues." Hermione took a grateful gulp out of the previously proffered glass of water. "He then confided in me that his son was missing and proceeded to describe the case and his son's behavior and what not."

"But how can you be sure it's Angelo?"

"He showed me a picture," Hermione said with resigned finality.

"How are you going to tell him?"

"I dunno, I supposed I was hoping Draco would help me with that…"

"Wait—No—what? I was talking about Draco himself."

Hermione froze. Her eyes downcast, she answered: "I can't keep it from him—just the thought of separation from _Scorpius_ causes _me_ to be hysterical—think about what it'd be like for _Draco_, Scorpius' father. Of course, he's going crazy!" Ginny let Hermione continue with her monologue, adding nods and "Mhmm's" when necessary. "I've got to see him first thing tomorrow!" she concluded.

"I think you should hold off telling An—Scorpius—my god I need to get used to that—until you tell Draco."

"You're right. We should go—"

"No, stay for dinner. This might be one of his last times—"

"You're right. Come on, I'll help you cook." With that, the women walked downstairs to the kitched and proceeded to cook dinner, surprising Harry when he apparated back home and proceeded to snog Ginny thoroughly, interrupted by Hermione clearing her throat loudly, as she had just been setting up the table. Harry threw the women a quizzical look, he normally knew ahead of time when Hermione was coming over.

"What, your best friend can't just come over?" teased Hermione. "I'm kidding—I just needed to talk to Ginny." Hermione looked at Hermione, who nodded, then shot Harry a look that said 'I'll tell you later.' Harry nodded and called in all 4 kids.

They sat down for a pleasant 'family' dinner, and Hermione tried to soak in the whole experience. She had grown accustomed to having dinner with An—Scorpius that she had taken all experiences with him for granted, though she never _expected_ to be able to keep him. As they waved goodbye to the Potters, Hermione couldn't help but look fondly at her angel. She tucked him in that night, giving him a wistful kiss on the cheek.

* * *

><p>Thursday arrived, and after dropping off Scorpius at school, Hermione apparated to the Ministry and dropped off her belongings in her office before marching to the Auror wing and going to Draco's office. He wasn't in yet, though, she was informed. Hermione nodded her understanding and vowed she would try again during lunchtime. However, he apparently hadn't showed up for work that day when she went to check again, explained only by a note scribbled to his assistant: "<em>Busy today. Sorry 'bout it. Forward me any work.<em>" Hermione had only rolled her eyes and marched off, promising to return the next day.

* * *

><p>Draco was across town, actually, looking for a new home. After touring many apartments, condos, and penthouses, he finally found one he liked. It was in a nice wizarding community, which he liked very much. The penthouse was large and spacious, with floor-to ceiling windows in a few rooms. There were 3 bedrooms, and 2 ½ bathrooms. The kitchen was decorated with stainless steel appliances and black granite countertops. It would've seemed cold, but the room was by a brightly-lit balcony, giving it a comfortable ambience. He immediately signed the papers, and went furniture shopping. He bought crème-colored leather couches for the living room, and a large 72" flat-screen TV for the living room, and a dark mahogany dining table with matching bar stools. The floor-to-ceiling windows were framed by floor-length white curtains with silver curlicues surrounding it. Overall, he was quite satisfied with the day's work. The master bedroom now contained a king-size platform bed on a silver-colored box frame, that faced away from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The view was truly gorgeous—from one side, he could see London, and from the other, he could see the community. He hoped Scorpius would like it. Draco had respected Astoria's wishes and had not contacted her since she left. He didn't know how Scorpius would react. He hoped that, at least, Scorpius would be happily reunited with his father. With Hermione now helping them, he was sure they would find him soon.<p>

He returned to the Ministry at 5, hoping he would catch Hermione. He just needed to see whether she had made any progress on the case, he said to himself, though a small niggling voice in the back of his head reminded him that he thought Hermione had looked…delicious…at their meeting 2 days ago. Her assistant, Sophie, informed him that she had already left. Draco nodded and walked to Mr. Jameson's office to pick up the divorce papers. After that, he apparated to his new flat and ate dinner, before falling asleep.

Hermione tossed and turned, while Angelo slept soundly, not knowing that his safe haven would be rudely interrupted, by his own father, no doubt!

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><p>AN: How mean of me to leave you at a cliffie again! :P Anyways, I PROMISE the next chapter will be posted in a week. I'm almost done, but I figured you guys didn't want to be let waiting any longer…. Read and Review!

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><p><strong>Xvanniex<strong>: hahaha well I suppose I ruled out the possibility of Angelo falling off the broom…It's a great idea though! I have the story outlined already, though, so maybe I'll use it for another story?

**Star-of-Hearts**: My friends and I did too! What did u think of the movie? 3

**Vampbooklover3000**: you made me laugh with your review! I saw it when I got back :P Motivation for more writing, right?

**Reagan ()**: Aww! Thanks so much! That's a huge compliment! :D 3

Thanks to all reviewers! **Sobeyda S. Granger**; **ginsensu**; **Team Dramione**; **iloveflyingmotorbikes**; **ariah23**; **KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun**; **Jessica ()**; **nature love 95**; **Star-of-Hearts**; **PRINCE-ASH'S-GIRL**; **WhipmyHair24**; **()**; **xvanniex**; **tfobmv18**; **xodreamerskyes**; **Happy Little Girl**; **vampbooklover3000**; **SilverWinds**; **kleipoppetje; Reagan ()**; **SuspiciousFlower**; and **NejiKoriKaze**.

Special thanks to: **KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun**; **Star-of-Hearts**; **nature love 95**; **tfobmv18**; and **Reagan ()** for reviewing multiple times!


	9. Chapter 9: Confessions, Part 2

Disclaimer: I'm not JKR. Need I say more?

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><p>Chapter 9: Confessions, part 2<p>

A/N: Extra long chappie! :) Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! :D

Not much to say, except there's some strong language (not that there hasn't been any before… just more than usual, I guess)…Oh, and _please_ read the AN at the end of the chapter: very important! Read and Review! (PS, **mermaidlover101**, I hope your still alive to read this! ;D)

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><p>Hermione woke up on Friday, knowing her luck just wouldn't hold out. She went to the Ministry, intent on confronting Draco once and for all, but of course, he wasn't there. Again. She growled, and marched to Blaise's office to confront him about his insolent friend. After venting to Blaise for a good half-hour, she walked into her office and greeted Sophie, who rose out of her chair and wished her a happy birthday, and then gave her a gift. Hermione thanked her, and while Sophie was about to sit down, she said offhandedly, "Oh, by the way, Mr. Malfoy stopped by here yesterday evening… Something about a case." She turned to face Hermione. "I didn't know you were doing a case for Mr. Malfoy."<p>

Hermione froze. It seemed they were just playing a game of cat and mouse, barely missing each other. "Oh, it's not Ministry related. Just a private matter."

"Alright." Sophie turned back to her work, as Hermione walked into her private office. It mustn't have been _that_ important if Draco hadn't even left a note. She vowed to confront Draco again. She passed the time until her lunch break busying herself with that irritating Lestrange case. Or at least, the evidence the data collected seemed to point to them, and if it wasn't, well, it certainly was worth investigating.

Finally lunch break arrived, and she went to visit Draco again. She knocked on the door and peeked her head in.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Malfoy in?"

"No, I'm afraid he took a leave of absence today. May I ask why?"

"He merely came to my office yesterday inquiring about my whereabouts. I see it's nothing important," Hermione said with a forced smile. As she walked into the Ministry cafeteria, she was bombarded with many well wishes, and sat down with Harry and Ron at the table they normally occupied. Of course, they both gave her gifts.

"Happy birthday, 'Mione!" said Harry, giving her a peck on the cheek and handing her a nicely wrapped gift. Ron followed suit.

"I didn't forget," said Ron with a cheeky wink. He pulled Hermione into a one-armed hug and handed her a gift bag.

"Aw, thanks guys. I love you guys so much."

"No problem, what are best friends for, right?" said Harry.

"Oh, I dunno….maybe saving your backsides a few times while facing against the Darkest Wizard of all time?" joked Hermione.

"Yea, true. S'pose I might not be here if it weren't for you…" said Harry with a mock pensive look on his face. Hermione laughed.

The trio dug into their lunches with vigor; Ron's eating habits had luckily improved, though he still occasionally did talk with his mouth full. Hermione chewed on her turkey and provolone on foccacia while thinking about _Scorpius_. She hoped her would be ok once she told Draco—that was, if she could ever _find_ him!

"Hermione? You alright? Kinda spaced out there for a while…" inquired Ron.

"Oh yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about a case."

Harry laughed.

"Of course, only you, Hermione, would think of a case on your birthday."

"What is that supposed to mean?" said Hermione, faking indignation.

"Oh nothing…" said Ron with a sidelong glance to Harry. "You just need to relax. So…" A voice cut in.

"I'm here to let you off work to relax for a day," said Ginny, smiling.

"What! But I have work to do!" spluttered Hermione.

"We know, but we've cleared it with Mr. Cromwell, and boy was _that_ difficult! He is so…bipolar…"

"Yes, I know, but I honestly have to work on the Lestrange case, and plus, I've got to talk to Draco."

"Why do you have to talk to Malfoy?" asked Ron suspiciously.

"I'm doing a private case for him, not that it's any of your business," said Hermione.

"Alright, alright," interrupted Harry, wanting to avoid a fight. "Go, Hermione. Merlin knows you deserve it." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, maybe not Merlin, but if Mr. Cromwell does… that' s good enough for me," she said with a smile.

"Good. Now, we have places to go and people to see!" said Ginny enthusiastically, pulling Hermione by the arm away from Harry, Ron, and the workplace. Ron and Harry cheerfully waved Hermione goodbye.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Draco was in Sicily, attempting to locate Astoria so she could sign the papers, officially annulling their marriage. He finally found the Greengrass home around noon, only to learn that Astoria was out shopping. He rolled his eyes and prepared to wait, as it would be nearly impossible to arrange another Portkey and be back when she returned. Finally, an hour later, Astoria arrive home, laden with shopping bags from muggle designer stores like Prada, Gucci, and Dolce and Gabbana. The whole process took another 2 hours, as her lawyer had to look over it and what not. Draco activated the portkey and returned to his penthouse suite, to be surprised by a visit from Blaise.<p>

"Hey mate," said Blaise, grinning.

"Hey Blaise," said Draco, somewhat warily.

"Missed you at work," said Blaise, still grinning widely.

"Yea..well, I'm a free man now!" said Draco, beaming.

"Congrats, man. Hate to pop your bubble, but 'Mione's pissed at you now."

Draco paused. "Wait, what?"

"Hermione is pissed at you right now," said Blaise slowly.

"Why?" asked Draco, puzzled.

"Dunno, came raving to me about you avoiding her."

"What?" Draco had no idea how she got _that_ impression. "I've just been busy, and out of the office."

"Yea, I don't care, just thought I'd give you a heads up. S'pose you can sort out your problems tonight."

"What?"

"Get your ears checked, mate!"

"I can hear perfect fine, thank you very much," said Draco with a glare. "I meant, what did you mean by tonight?"

"Have you gone daft? Her surprise birthday party…?"

"…I haven't heard of such…"

Blaise's eyes widened. "Oops. It was _you_ I forgot to tell!" He laughed nervously.

"It's her birthday?"

"Damn, you've really been out of the loop."

"No thanks to you," Draco muttered drily.

"Well, it's at her place. Did you purposely get an apartment in Ridgeview to be near her?"

"I'd say 'what?' but it's becoming quite redundant."

"No shit. Her address is… hang on, I've got it somewhere…" Blaise dug through his wallet and pulled out a folded, creased piece of paper. "27 Ridgeway Place, apartment 7A. We should be there around 5:30…She should be back around 6. Hurry up and get her a gift! G'luck mate!" Blaise patted Draco on the back and stepped out of the apartment.

Draco looked down at his watch. It was already 3:30! He paced back and forth, clueless as to what Hermione would like. She wasn't like most girls; though he knew she would undoubtedly appreciate jewelry, he wanted the gift to be meaningful. Perhaps the Manor would have something she'd like?"

He apparated to the Manor, and a slightly startled house elf appeared in front of him.

"Dava, please lead me to Mother."

"Of course, Master Draco. Dava did not know Mistress was expecting yous." Dava scurried off in the direction of the parlor, where Narcissa sat, writing a letter while drinking a cup of tea. She looked up at the noise.

"Oh Draco darling! What a pleasant surprise! How are you?"

"Fine."

"I can tell your not here just to see your dear old mother," Narcissa said wryly.

"No, actually…I've a…friend I need a gift for. Her birthday's today, and, well, Blaise forgot to tell me about her surprise party."

"I see…Would this lady happen to be Miss Granger?"

"Yes…how did you know?"

"I'm a Malfoy and former Slytherin; I have my ways," Narcissa joked. She opened today's Daily Prophet and pointed to the 'Culture' section. Draco picked it up and zoomed in on an article.

"Late with Love, Hermione Granger.

Britain's war heroine turns 34 today, a day not forgotten by some. The question is, who will she be spending this special day with? Undoubtedly, she'll be with Harry and Ginevra Potter, and Ron Weasley, a former flame of hers. But, it seems, even Mr. Weasley has settled down with Miss Amanda MacAllister. Victor Krum, an old beau, though not bound down, has claimed no intimate relationship with Miss Granger. Even renown playboy Draco Malfoy has settled down with Astoria Greengrass. Her most recent hookup was with Mr. Anthony Goldstein, a former classmate, though _that_ relationship fizzled out quickly, lasting only from February to June. All her fellow classmates are tying the knot, including Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood (who would've thought?). With Miss Granger being one of few friends _not_ married, she _must_ feel like a third wheel! Now, who will be 'the one' for Miss Granger? We hope she'll find him (or her) soon! Wands crossed for good luck!" Draco finished the article, disgusted. Of course, Rita Skeeter was the author.

"Well, on the bright side, at least there isn't any news of your divorce yet…" said Narcissa, with a raised brow.

"I'm sure it'll make the headline news," muttered Draco drily. "Anyways, I want to get Hermione something… but I dunno what she'd like."

"You want something memorable and special, so you're not going to get her jewelry… and that leaves you with much less choices." Narcissa tilted her head in pondering. "I think we might have a nice sapphire pendant that I can charm…"

"To do what?" asked Draco, curious.

"To scan and hold pages of reading material, as she likes to read, correct?"

"Avidly. I know of a charm that can make it act like a floo, but without a fireplace…I can't recall it , though!"

"_Cantio Loqui_, I believe, is the charm. _Cantio Sententia ipsum_ is the other one…Come on, let's go choose a pendant for Miss Granger." Draco followed Narcissa into the family vault, and after perusing many pendants, he found the perfect one. He smiled as he attached it to a chain and tapped it thrice while mumbling the incantations, and boxed and wrapped it in silver paper, and tied it with a turquoise bow.

"Thank you, Mother. I'll be on my way now," said Draco, kissing Narcissa on the cheek. Draco apparated away, as Narcissa smiled. She knew he had feelings for the girl, even if he didn't realize it yet. And who was she to stop him if it made him happy?

* * *

><p>Draco apparated to his apartment and changed into khaki slacks and a light blue button-down. He walked at a brisk pace to Hermione's apartment, and knocked on the door when he arrived.<p>

"Draco! Good, you're here. Hermione'll be back soon!" whispered Maria. "Thanks," she said when Draco passed her the bottle of wine. He pocketed his gift after seeing the giant stack of gifts on her bed—he didn't want it to get lost in the mess. Of course, her apartment, while simply furnished, was neat and clean. He opened another door, looking for a bathroom. Oddly enough, a small twin bed was inside, with a desk and dresser. He was puzzled, but thought nothing of it. The next door proved to be the bathroom, and he stepped out quickly.

Ginny's voice rang loud and clear. "Come on, 'Mione, let's just have a girl's night. I know you're not up to partying, but you'll be find at home. Let's drink a bit, and have some fun."

"Alright… why I'm letting you do this, I have no idea… but…oh hell, alright."

The door knob turned, and the door glowed blue as the wards opened. "Surprise!" everyone shouted. The look on Hermione face was one of complete shock.

She turned to Ginny accusatorily, "You knew about this, didn't you? That's why you were so long in the loo!"

"Yea, well, don't be _mad…_"

Hermione laughed. "Well, I suppose I really don't have a right to be upset, seeing as how you guys were all so nice to do this…"She smiled happily.

"Cheers, 'Mione!" said Ron, pouring her a glass of wine.

"Mmm… this is nice…."she said. Ron poured himself a glass.

"Yea, it is…Wonder who brought it?" A little boy came barreling through, hugging Hermione's legs fiercely.

"Happy birthday, Miss 'Mione!" yelled Angelo, cute as ever. "I made this for you in school!" He handed her a bracelet with an assortment of glass and metal beads—it shined and glittered in the light. He smiled sweetly and handed her a drawing he had drawn also. "That's you, me, Miss. Lisa, Emmett, and Anthony," he said while pointing.

"Aww… thank you!" She pinned the picture to her fridge with a magnet, before a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Happy birthday, Hermione," said Draco.

"Draco! How are you?"

"Fine, and you?"

"Great!" she said, her voice coming out higher than usual.

"Uh… well I got you a gift," he said with a slightly awkward smile, handing her the small package.

"Thank you!" She moved to put it on the countertop, but he placed his hand to stop her.

"Wait—open it now."

"Alright…" She unwrapped the gift and gasped. "Oh Draco, it's gorgeous, you didn't have to!"

He smiled. "I thought you might like it. If say _Sententia ipsum,_ you'll be able to scan books or pages and read them whenever. And if you say _Loqui_, you'll be able to communicate almost via Floo, but without the fireplace."

"Thank you so much! That's so thoughtful!" Hermione beamed and hugged him tightly.

"No problem." Draco returned the hug fiercely.

Unnoticed by the adults, Angelo had seen Draco, and ran away to his bedroom after grabbing Emmett and Anthony, who were bored beyond belief after wishing Hermione happy birthday. All the adults were so boring!

* * *

><p>An hour passed, the adults becoming more and more inebriated as time went on. Of course, Hermione, being the sensible woman she is, didn't drink enough to become <em>drunk<em>, per se, but she was definitely more relaxed. Albus and James walked up to Hermione.

"Aunt 'Mione, have you seen Angelo? We can't find him, and I'm bored," whined James.

"Oh! You can't find him? Have you checked his room?"

"No…"

"Let's go, and if he's not there, you can watch TV in my room, alright?"

"Okay!" As Hermione, Albus, and James wove their way through the crowd, Draco spotted them. He wanted to confront Hermione about why she was annoyed at him before, and hence, followed them. What he saw knocked him of his feet. Hermione on the floor in her little blue dress, smiling and laughing and playing with the children in the room he has stumbled upon before. Albus and James Potter, the children of that Lisa woman, and Harrison Weasel, playing on the floor. Suddenly, out of his periphery, he spotted something that made his heart stop cold. A platinum blond boy, coming out of the bathroom, laughing happily with his…friends? It was Scorpius! Scorpius hadn't spotted Draco yet, much to his relief.

"Hermione? Can I talk to you for a second?" Draco's voice permeated the room, but he hadn't showed his face.

"Coming!" she replied, turning back to the children. "I have to go now, but don't hesitate to come ask me for anything, ok?"

"OK!" the children chorused. Hermione walked out and looked surprised to see Draco, as she was expecting either Harry or Ron.

"Yes…?" She asked slightly apprehensively. It would be too much to hope that Draco hadn't seen Scorpius; she just hoped he wouldn't explode at her party. That also, seemed much to ask, as Draco seemed to almost be shaking…?

"Is that _my son_ in there?" Draco asked, his voice shaking with the strength it took not to explode.

"I- you have to understand! I looked for you, I really did!" She began pleading.

"Answer the damn question! IS THAT MY SON IN THERE?" Draco was furious, how _dare_ she keep Scorpius from him! He even confided in her that his son was missing! And she didn't even fucking tell him?

"Yes." Her voice was resigned, and she sounded close to tears.

"How could you not tell me?" He tried not to explode, but it was hard. Scorpius was all he had left.

"I _told_ you, I _tried,_ I really did! You weren't there Thursday or today! I honestly, genuinely looked and you- you were avoiding me!" she said, now in tears, her finger pointed accusatorily at Draco.

"What? I was out on business! I was taking a leave of absence!" He was shocked that she would accuse him of _avoiding_ her—well, at least he knew what Blaise was talking about…

She looked at him sadly, and said, "Look, I really don't have time for this…" Her voice was quiet and tired. "Just…talk to me after, alright? Can we at least pretend to enjoy this?"

Draco sighed loudly. "Alright. I'm still upset with you, though, and I demand a full explanation once everyone has gone." Hermione nodded and walked to the bathroom, as Draco left to get a refill of champagne.

* * *

><p>In the bathroom, Hermione lifted bent her head and closed her eyes. To think that this evening had started off so nicely! Ginny had taken her shopping and bought some new clothes (and lingerie, not that anyone'd ever see it, but still). After that, they had gone to the salon and gotten manipedis and massages. It felt heavenly! Ginny wanted to take her to go clubbing, but as predicted, Hermione declined, and instead, they went back to Hermione's apartment. Of course, it had to be ruined by Draco finding out about Scorpius _that_ way…

Looking in her reflection, Hermione looked terrible! Her eyes were puffy, red and bloodshot (though the alcohol may have contributed to that) and her makeup was running. Her hair had started frizzing too, and with a wave of her wand and the addition of some glamour charms and hair spray, she looked (almost) as good as new. Though inside, she didn't feel like it.

She left the bathroom and faked smiles and graciously accepted gifts and well wishes, but all she could think about was Scorpius. And Draco, of course. How would Scorpius react? And would Draco ever listen to reason? Finally, around 9, people started filing out with their kids, and around 9:30, the room was cleared.

She felt his presence before he spoke.

"Where is Scorpius?"

"Sleeping," she replied. "I figured that we should talk it out before upsetting him." Draco was surprised at Hermione consideration for his son's wellbeing.

"Look, I'm sorry for exploding at you, but you've got to understand—Scorpius is all I have left, besides for my job. And I—I talked to you about it and you didn't tell me then." Draco seemed to struggle to say everything calmly.

"I know you don't get why I wouldn't tell you, but you have to understand that Scorpius is such a darling, and I've grown so attached to him in just a short period of time, that telling him goodbye without preparing myself hurts too? I realize you're his father, and you've known him for much longer than I have, but I love him too. I wanted to mentally ready myself to talk to you about it, and I was ready to the next day, as much as I didn't want to, and I searched for you both yesterday and today. It's not my fault you weren't there."

Draco closed his eyes and sighed. He then pinched the bridge of his nose. "I forgive you."

"You do?" she interrupted.

"Yes, no one can hate you bloody Gryffindors." He joked. "Anyways, what I'm worried about is Scorpius. How do we tell him?"

"That's what I'm concerned about. I feel like I should tell him—"

"_You_ tell him? No, _we_ should tell him."

"Why? Don't you think it'd be easier if I did? Otherwise, he might freak out if he sees you."

"What are you insinuating?" Draco asked with narrowed eyes.

"I mean, if he's shocked to see you, he probably won't accept it, and just be stubborn."

"Probably got it from being with you," muttered Draco.

"ME?" Hermione shrieked.

"Yes, you."

"_I'm_ not the spoiled brat who gets everything he wants!"

"Obviously; you're not a 'he.'"

Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

Draco snickered. Then, from behind them both, a sharp gasp. Draco and Hermione turn sharply, Scorpius' face coming into view. Eyes wide, he turned and ran back into his room, slamming it shut with a BANG!

The noise seemed to wake Hermione and Draco from their stupor, and they both quickly dashed across the hallway to skid to a halt in from of Scorpius' door. The door was locked, and Hermione reached on top of the doorframe to get the key. She inserted it and turned it to the right. However, the door remained shut, to both her and Draco's bewilderment. She rattled the doorknob, and then tried _Alohomora_, to which the door _finally_ responded to. As Hermione made move to enter the room, Scorpius' tear-streaked face appeared in the crack.

"I don't want Daddy to come in," he said quietly but firmly. Draco opened his mouth to protest but Hermione silenced him with a glare.

"Of course," she said. Scorpius pulled open the door a bit more, allowing Hermione to squeeze through, before shutting it again. Draco reached into his pocket and found what he was looking for: a flesh colored string: the Weasleys' Extendable Ear. He fed it under the door and sank to the floor to eavesdrop.

* * *

><p>Scorpius' lower lip trembled. He looked at the ground.<p>

"How did you know?" he mumbled sadly.

"Know what?" asked Hermione, confused.

"That Draco's my daddy!" Scorpius looked up, his eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to go, Miss Mione! I—I ran away 'cuz Mummy and Daddy kept fighting…" His voice shook. "I wanna stay here with you…" Finally, the tears spilled over, and he buried his face in Hermione's shirt and sobbed.

"Oh, Scorpius, I didn't know, I really didn't. I suspected, but I didn't look for him. He just found me; we went to school together and he came to me for some help at work. I didn't know he'd be coming today—in fact, I had no idea of the party!" Hermione attempted to console Scorpius, while patting his back.

"…really?" Scorpius lifted his eyes hopefully and smiled weakly.

"Yes, would I lie to you, darling?"

Scorpius giggled softly, hiccupping.

"Now, why don't you go to bed, and let Draco and I talk a bit."

"…you won't…snatch me away while I'm sleeping?"

Hermione laughed at this. "No, of course not," she said, smiling softly and sweetly. By this time, Hermione's own eyes were no longer dry. She gathered Scorpius into her arms and pulled back the sky blue covers and gently and lovingly placed him on the mattress before pulling up the blanket. She bent over him and placed a kiss on his forehead before murmuring, "I love you, mio Angelo…"

* * *

><p>Draco reeled in the Extendable Era and stood up, still shocked at Hermione's tenderness towards Scorpius. Her feelings must've run really deep. He felt as though he had been an eavesdropper on a precious and sacred moment, where he was the intruder. Draco allowed himself a small smile at the thought of how perfect of a mother Hermione would be. His train of thought was interrupted by Hermione exiting and closing the door.<p>

"We need to talk," said Draco, having come to a decision.

* * *

><p>AN: Hehehe… did anyone notice how Draco tapped the pendant THRICE? But there were only two charms…What could the 3rd one be? Review with any guesses! :D (Hint: there will be a bit of drama later on….)

_Cantio_ _Loqui_: invented spell, Latin for 'Charm Speak'

_Cantio_ _Sententia_ _ipsum_: invented spell, Latin for 'Charm View stuff'

A/N2: OK, people, I'm like super busy right now with school work (and homecoming), and it's getting quite difficult to write (and post) fanfiction :/ which sucks. But, I'm going to try and write like…3 or 4 in a month, and post them. So I'll have buffer chapters (in the words of galfoy, BTW, check out her stories. They're AMAZING!). :] I'm going to have to take a break from posting for about a month (or two), but then I'll be able to post fortnightly! :D Sorry about it, but it's getting really difficult to crank out chapters _and_ keep up with all the homework my teachers are assigning -_- Sorry about fanfiction taking a backseat (for now), but I promise I'll be writing hard! Thanks.


	10. Chapter 10: Arrangements

Disclaimer: I haven't gotten any royalties from Scholastic…so no, I'm not JKR.

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Arrangements<p>

A/N: uwaaahhhh I'm sorry for not updating :( See my explanation at the bottom... :P

Yea, so this is hot of the press, and that's sort of how most of my chappies go since I want to get it to you guys ASAP ^^ (Sorry in advance for any issues!)

Please show an author some love and review please! :D 3 I'd love to know what you're thinking! ^^

And to everyone that has reviewed already: Thank you! I really appreciate it ^^ 3

And without further ado, Chapter 10!

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><p>The next few weeks passed without event. Draco had agreed to allow Hermione to gain partial custody over Scorpius, seeing as how they loved each other dearly. Scorpius was shuffled between Draco and Hermione's flats every week, but the other often visited whoever had Scorpius. They almost seemed like a real family, with bickers of course, but love nonetheless. One Thursday evening, Draco came back beaming. As Hermione placed the pasta and grilled chicken on the table, and Scorpius set the table for three, Draco poured them drinks, and couldn't stop whistling while doing so. Hermione shot him a weird look.<p>

"Someone's happy today," she remarked.

"I've got good news," he said simply, not wanting to reveal more just yet.

"I figured," she said with a laugh.

When they sat down for dinner, Draco clapped his hands. "I've got news…" he said with a smile. Scorpius looked up, still chewing the chicken.

"Yes, Draco? Care to share?" teased Hermione.

"Well, today at work, I had a meeting with Potter and the Minister…" he trailed off, purposefully irking Hermione.

"And…?" asked Hermione, growing impatient. Draco merely chuckled. "Just spit it out already!"

"Alright, alright!" he said, putting up his hands in mock-surrender. "I got a promotion today!"

"Oh wow Draco! That's great!" she said excitedly. She moved around the table to give Draco a hug, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"This calls for a celebration!" she said happily, going to get a bottle of wine. Draco's heart raced at the thought of her pressing herself against him. He fought to control himself, not wanted to embarrass himself. As Hermione came back with a bottle of red wine and 2 wine glasses, she noticed Draco seemed a bit…flushed? She thought nothing of it and uncorked the bottle and poured it out.

"Cheers!" she said, pecking Draco on the cheek before raising her glass, Draco mimicking her actions. Scorpius merely looked on amusedly, calmly eating his pasta.

* * *

><p>As weeks progressed, Draco and Hermione grew more comfortable with each other. Draco thought Hermione became more and more beautiful each time he saw her—especially when she was caring for Scorpius. Hermione thought Draco was less of an incorrigible git and more of a witty best friend.<p>

'_Though a very attractive one, at that_', she thought while spacing out at work. She chastised herself again. '_No! You mustn't think that way! He's your friend and you don't want to jeopardize your relationship with him for a romantic whim. It'd just make things awkward for you and him, not to mention Scorpius!'_ Hermione smiled at the thought of her little boy, her angel. Although she no longer called him Angelo, he'd still always be her angel in her heart. But another niggling voice in the back of her mind said, '_**Well, I daresay he might fancy you too. He **__**was**__** checking you out that day. Remember? When he made a remark about how you and Scorpius almost matched? You remember, the sky blue v-neck pull and khaki shorts? Any man with hormones not getting shagged will develop feelings, or at least lust for a woman he's always seeing…'**_

At this, Hermione's other side rolled her eyes. _'Oh of course. How would you know he's not getting it on with other women? He could've shagged a dozen women in the time he's known Hermione!'_

The little horny devil smirked in a way remarkably alike to Draco's. _**'He spends too much time with you and Scorpius to be screwing others.'**_

_Silence_.

The devil merely crossed his arms and smirked smugly. Hermione was mentally gaping. She finally silenced both voices, and returned to cracking the case.

* * *

><p>Draco sat at his desk, filling out paperwork mindlessly. Sign here, sign there….his mind drifted off to Hermione. She looked so damn adorable yesterday when she'd dropped off Scorpius. They were matching and everything! And that ass… still perfect! As much as he hated to admit it, Granger looked good. Sure Astoria looked nice, but she wasn't all that curvy to start out with. After he and Astoria had Scorpius, they tried to have another child, but failed over and over again. Needless to say, both Narcissa and Astoria (and secretly Draco and Lucius too) were disappointed when they found that they wouldn't have a little girl to spoil and cuddle. Draco suspected there was some pureblood curse that prevented them from having more than one child. <em>Perhaps…with Hermione, things might be different,<em> he though. _Whoa, whoa! Getting ahead of yourself there!_ He was brought out of his thoughts by a sharp rap at the door.

"Mr. Malfoy?" It was his assistant, Michael Thompson.

"Yes?" The doorknob turned.

"It's 3 now, just thought I'd let you know," he said, poking his head in. Draco had started alternating pick up dates with Hermione, instead of having Hermione do all the work or hiring a nanny, as Draco wanted to spend more time with Scorpius. "If you're done with the paperwork, I'll fill out the rest."

"Yes, here," Draco passed Michael the stack of files. "Thanks, Mike," he said, patting him on the back before Michael walked out. Draco turned around and picked up his briefcase and left.

* * *

><p>When he picked up Scorpius, Draco suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Scorpius, how would you like to play with Antonia?"<p>

"I really, really want to!"

Draco chuckled at Scorpius' enthusiasm.

"Alright. Lemme floo Blaise while you get ready."

"OK!" Scorpius rushed to his room to put on some of the clothes "Miss 'Mione" had brought him—they were so cozy!

After a quick chat with Blaise, Draco checked in on Scorpius. He smiled at Scorpius pulling on the jeans Hermione got him. Draco and Scorpius then quickly floo'ed over.

Draco had intended on dropping off Scorpius and returning, but ended up chatting for 2 hours, as he had been spending much of his time with Hermione, which, once he explained to Blaise (after all, if he couldn't trust Blaise, who could he trust?) , Blaise understood fully.

"Good luck mate," said Blaise. "You'll need it for sure."

"Are you doubting my abilities?" asked Draco.

"No, but Hermione…" Blaise left it hanging there.

"What?" asked Draco testily.

"Well, she's a real fireball. Hard to handle."

"I'm sure I can," Draco said a bit haughtily.

Blaise laughed heartily at his cockiness. "I'm sure you can. After all, I always thought those arguments were from repressed sexual tension," suggested Blaise with a saucy wink.

Draco rolled his eyes.

Then, Antonia ran into the room, trailed by Scorpius. "Daddy, can Scorpius sleep over?" she asked, with her big brown eyes looking up hopefully at Blaise. "Mummy said she's OK with it."

"Well, if your mum is alright with it, I don't have a problem, but why don't you ask Uncle Draco."

Antonia turned to Draco. "Please, Uncle Drake? You're my favoritest uncle!" She said with a big smile.

Scorpius piped up behind her. "Please Daddy?"

Draco loved his goddaughter and son dearly, and of course conceded. "Fine. But no late night snacks, and you have to be in bed by 9. OK?"

"Alright…" they said half-heartedly. As they skipped away, Draco heard murmured snippets of conversation.

"…sneak….wake up…ask Blaise?...hehe…"

Draco turned to Blaise. "No, don't be swayed by their persuasion! You can't let them eat that sort of food that late at night…"

"Alright, alright."

"I'll just floo Scorpius' stuff over."

"Sure. Don't worry about dropping Scorpius off at school; Maria'll do it."

"Thanks mate. See you later." Draco floo'ed home and quickly packed Scorpius' bag and sent it over, before collapsing on his bed and falling asleep.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hermione had just gotten home from work. She noticed that Scorpius had left his favorite stuffed dragon on the couch. Deciding to drop it off, she took the quick walk to Draco's apartment, and let herself in. Not finding either Draco or Scorpius downstairs, she walked upstairs, intent on leaving the toy on Scorpius' bed when she heard some noises from the master bedroom. Hermione's first reaction was, '<em>ohmigod! Draco must be injured!,' <em>and shoved open the door, only to find a fast-asleep Draco, tangled in the sheets. She couldn't help but notice his toned chest peeking out from the blankets. She tore her eyes away and made move to back out when "Hermione" issued from Draco's lips. Hermione's eyes opened wide in shock and disbelief, and she ran down the stairs, forgetting her original intent of dropping off Scorpius toy.

Hermione's feet slapped against the paved walkway, it's beat matching the pounding rhythm of her heart. Her cheeks were flushed from both the running and the mortification! She ran up the stairs to her apartment, avoiding the elevator, which was flooded with people heading home from work. She ran up the flights of stairs before slamming the door to her apartment shut and slumping to the floor, her heart and mind racing.

* * *

><p>AN: And there you have it! Chapter 10! I'm really really really sorry about not updating *cries* forgive me?

Turns out that summer camp (aka summer classes) had a sh*tload of homework… I literally had no time whatsoever to write anything of Runaway! :( Ugh. I promise I'll try to write AMAP (as much as possible haha) since school starts in 2 wks :/ ew. Yea, and I still have summer homework…. T_T

Good news: Part of chapter 11 is typed up! (Wrote it while on vacation)

Bad news: I'm in a bit of writers block right now….

I'm forever in a neverending pile of work. Reviews would make my day~ 3

Please review? With ice cream and sprinkles and free hugs? :D

xx, midnight rose


	11. Chapter 11: Thunderstorm

A/N: This is probably the longest chapter for Runaway that I've written, so enjoy!

Chapter 11

After the initial shock, Hermione's mind went into lawyer mode. When did _this_ happen? Were there any signs? What & when? Why was Draco dreaming of her?

Her mind flashed back to that dinner after he announced his promotion. He _did_ seem flushed after she hugged him, didn't he? Was it _really_ just her imagination? She flashed back to moments in their past: those times when they went grocery shopping together and he made sure to pick up her favorite milk and cereal, and some of her favorite fruits...how he always asked for her opinion concerning almost everything... him having no hesitation in asking her for help...she thought it all was just friendliness, but maybe it was more than that... They were completely comfortable and honest with each other. But it wasn't really _truly_ open with each other, if they were hiding feelings...

_'Wait! "they?"_' did Hermione have feelings for Draco too?

She shook her head clear. _'I have to go pick up Scorpius...'_ she thought, before leaving to do just that.

* * *

><p>After Hermione had picked up Scorpius, Draco walked over to Hermione's apartment. He opened the door and walked in, surpassing the wards. The sight he was greeted with surprised him, and he froze in his tracks. The kitchen had transformed into the South Pole!<p>

Scorpius giggled, running circles around the center island, while Hermione chased behind him attempting to clean his shirt, which had a suspicious red stain on it. Scorpius looked up and yelled loudly, "Hi Daddy!" and continued running. Hermione froze, and said, "Hello Draco." with a sheepish grin. Scorpius used this opportunity to climb onto one of the bar stools and sneak up behind her to unleash a flour bomb on top of her head.

Hermione turned around in shock. "Oh you're in for it now..."and spun around and grabbed Scorpius around his legs and lifted him up. Draco smiled at the sight, and didn't notice Hermione whispering into Scorpius' ear. Scorpius giggled and nodded his consent. Hermione let him down and turned to Draco.

"Draco...help me with these pizzas?" she said coyly, as Scorpius ran into his room.

"So _that's_ what you were doing..."

Hermione laughed. "What, did you think the red stain was blood or something? Scor spilled some after I opened the jar of tomato sauce."

Draco laughed at this. "No, but I didn't know what it was. I'll help, but as long as you don't get any tomato sauce stains on my shirt..."

"Okay!"

And with that, they began rolling and kneading and patting the dough to make the pizzas. Once a total of six small pizza crusts were laid out on the counter, Hermione called for Scorpius.

"Scor darling, its time for you to put on the tomato sauce!" Scorpius ran into the kitchen, with a mirthful smile.

"Okay!" He reached for the jar of tomato sauce and grabbed the awaiting spoon, and scooped a spoonful of tomato sauce onto the dough. Meanwhile, Hermione turned to preheat the oven, and turned her head over her shoulder and called, "Can you get the grater out of the pantry?"

Draco nodded his consent and smiled to himself as he retrieved the grater. When he returned, Hermione had taken out the blocks of cheese and began grating. Scorpius had crept next to her away from his tomato-sauce-spreading post and observed Hermione hard at work. Draco meanwhile was diligently cutting the olives and mushrooms at the counter.

Scorpius snuck a look at Draco, who was paying him and Hermione no attention. Hermione winked at Scorpius, and he dipped his hands into the bowl of cheese, and cupping it, sneakily crept over to Draco before...

"AHHHHH! WHAT IS THIS STUFF?!" Draco screamed while ruffling his no longer pristine hair. Hermione and Scorpius burst out laughing, doubled over, clutching their stomachs.

"Y- yo - you scream like a _girl_!" said Hermione, while crying from laughter. Scorpius too was giggling and rolling on the floor. His proper and perfect father now looked a mess!

Draco pretended to sulk before he reached for some left over flour and dumped it into Hermione's long chocolate curls. Hermione stopped laughing immediately, her mouth dropping to form a round O.

"Oh no you didn't!" Hermione grabbed some flour and dumped it on top of Draco's head. Scorpius was on the side, cheering Hermione on. Draco turned to his son and said, "I'm hurt, Scor, betraying your own dad for Miss Mione?"

"Yup! Miss Mione feeds me!" said Scorpius with a toothy smile. Draco then proceeded to dump some more flour on top of Scorpius' head. Hermione giggled at the indignant look on Scorpius' face.

"Hey daddy! Not fair!" Scorpius then reached for some bacon and threw the meat at Draco. "Ha!"

While Draco was occupied with Scorpius, Hermione snuck behind him and spooned a spoonful of tomato sauce onto his head, giggling as his blond hair became stained orange-red.

The fight continued for another 15 minutes until the oven "beeped!"

"Oh , the oven's preheated now! I don't know whether we can still eat these pizzas…" said Hermione.

"Course we can. There's just a lot of random cheese everywhere," replied Draco.

Hermione laughed, and proceeded to put the pizzas in the oven.

"Cmon, Scor, we need to get you into the bath. You're a mess!"

"But Miss Mione, I don't want to miss the pizzas!" whined Scorpius.

"Don't worry, we won't eat without you!" Hermione reassured Scorpius.

"Speak for yourself, the pizzas are smelling delicious! I dunno… I might eat yours Scorpius, since you decided to dump some cheese on me…" said Draco.

"DADDY! I didn't mean it! It was Miss Mione's idea!"

Hermione turned to Scorpius, "You weren't supposed to tell him!" she whispered.

Scorpius' eyes went large. "Oops."

Hermione quickly evaded Draco and plopped Scorpius in the bathtub. She began scrubbing his hair, trying to get all the sauce and cheese out. _I really hope the sauce doesn't stain his clothes…._ She thought.

"Miss Mione, I can wash myself now," said Scorpius.

"Alright; don't make too much of a mess though! Just yell if you need anything." Hermione walked out of the bathroom, and found Draco sitting at the counter pensively.

"Hey Draco," she said quietly.

"Oh, hi, Hermione!" Draco looked up quickly. "I apologise for the mess we made…."

Hermione laughed, "Don't worry about it! Just help me clean up?"

Draco and Hermione got to work, brushing off the cheese from the countertop, and scrubbing the tomato sauce stains. Somehow, they both ended up on the floor, about to scrub the same stain, when they both looked up.

Hermione was enraptured by Draco's eyes. They weren't that startling grey she was accustomed to. They had flecks of blue that appeared illuminated…glowing…they began leaning towards each other…

When suddenly, Scorpius yelled, "MIONE I NEED CLOTHES!"

Hermione quickly stood up, accidentally hitting her head on the countertop. "Ooof!"

"You alright?" asked Draco, worried.

"Yea…I'm fine. Do you wanna get Scorpius some clothes?"

"Sure." Draco walked to Scorpius' bedroom, and went to Scorpius' dresser to pick out some clothes. Handing the clothes to Scorpius in the bathroom, he was about to exit, when Scorpius said, "Daddy, is Miss Mione OK?"

"Yea, why?"

"I heard a bang…. And then she said OOOF!"

"Oh, she hit her head…"

"What were you doing?" asked Scorpius innocently.

"Just cleaning."

"Oh."

* * *

><p>A sound reverberated through the room.<p>

"Was that your stomach or thunder?" she asked, teasingly.

"I'm not sure; I'm famished though!" replied Draco.

"I'm hungry too!" added Scorpius. Hermione took the pizzas out of the oven and set them on the dining table. A flash of light lit up the sky, followed by another rumble of thunder. Soon, the downpour began. After finishing dinner, the three settled in for the night watching Toy Story. Scorpius was enraptured by the idea of talking toys in the Muggle world, and thought Rex had some resemblance to his favourite stuffed dragon. Draco paid little attention to the film, and instead was enraptured by Hermione, and how lovingly she held Scorpius. _She'd really make a perfect mother figure_, he thought. The movie ended, and Hermione turned to Draco expectantly.

"What'd you think of it?"

Draco stuttered. _Shit_. "I liked it well enough. Scorpius seemed to enjoy it, so that's good enough for me."

"Ha! I _knew_ I'd get you to like Muggle films!" Hermione exclaimed, victorious.

"It's a children's film. Next time, you can show me something more suited for _my_ age," retorted Draco sulkily.

"I dunno, you're acting like a child right now, so I think these movies might suit you too!" Hermione giggled at the look on Draco's face. "Scorpius, love, it's time for bed!" Hermione helped get Scorpius settled in bed before closing the bedroom door, to find Draco still in her living room.

"Storm hasn't let up," said Draco, tilting his head towards the window. It was still pouring outside. "Can I use your Floo?"

Hermione bit her lip. "We never did set up a connection between our flats, did we?" Draco's eyes widened in realization.

"Well, that's dandy."

"The apparation points are too far; you'll get soaked."

"I can just make a run for it."

"No, that's not safe at all! Why don't you stay the night?" suggested Hermione after a bit of thought. "I'm afraid I don't have a guest bedroom; Scor took that. But if you don't mind sleeping on the couch?"

"Course not." Hermione brought out some extra pillows and blankets and helped get Draco comfortable before returning to her own bedroom. She had nearly drifted off into sleep when she felt the bed dip. Opening her eyes, she saw Scorpius' big blue eyes wide with worry.

"Mione, I don't like the thunderstorm," he said, a small frown on his face.

"You can sleep with me, then, darling."

"...can I get Daddy too?"

Hermione chuckled. "Alright, if you can convince your dad to wake up."

Scorpius ran out and poked Draco until he finally grunted, "_What Scorpius_?"

"Daddy, can you sleep with me? I don't like the storm."

"Sure," said Draco, groaning as he sat up. Scorpius took his hand and led him to the master bedroom, to Draco's surprise. He saw Hermione seated up in bed, clad only in a skimpy silk sleep set. _Dear Merlin_. He quickly settled himself on one side of the bed, with Scorpius fast asleep in between himself and Hermione.

* * *

><p>Hermione woke up to a gasp. Her eyes accustomed to the brightness.<p>

"Ginevra! What are you doing?"

"I'd like to ask you that!" replied Ginny, eying Draco who was fast asleep beside her. Hermione crawled out of bed.

"We didn't sleep together," she hissed. "Well, I mean we _did_, but not in that way. Scorpius dragged us together."

"Ahha, I see little Angelo is playing Cupid!" said Ginny gleefully.

"No, he was just scared of the thunderstorm."

"Sure. Look, I was here because we were having a girl's day? Manis and pedis and shopping?" Hermione's eyes widened. She checked her calendar, and let out a small _fuck_.

"I'm so sorry Ginny! It totally slipped my mind!"

"That's alright, just get ready. I'll make you all some breakfast and then I can kick the boys out," she said with a small laugh.

Draco woke up and saw two dark figures standing in the doorway. The sun streamed through the windows, and he recognized Hermione's bushy hair, and what appeared to be the Potter-ettes red hair in the doorframe. He hardly noticed until now, but with her in little clothes, he realized that _damn_, Hermione had a nice ass! He quickly averted his eyes as Hermione turned back.

She bent over to wake Scorpius, inadvertently giving Draco a view of her rack. He smirked.

"Wake up, darling. Ginny's making us breakfast."

"M'kay, Mione." Scorpius rubbed the sleep from his eyes and lumbered over to his bedroom to change.

"What's Potter-ette doing here?" asked Draco.

"_Ginny_," emphasized Hermione. "We had plans for today, but they slipped my mind."

"Ah," said Draco. "Kicking us out, are you?"

"Unfortunately so. Ginny's making breakfast, though? Plus, I thought you had plans with Scorpius."

"Yes, I did, but they included you as well. So you can have fun with _Ginevra_ while Scor and I have a boy's day!" Hermione laughed as she went to the closet to change.

Hermione came out in a simple outfit—denim shorts and a white top with gold sequins. She wore a pair of gold-embellished sandals, and kept her hair and makeup very natural. Scorpius, Draco, and Ginny were seated at the breakfast counter, happily eating pancakes.

"Here's your plate," said Ginny, pushing a plate stacked with pancakes towards Hermione. "Draco tried to steal them," she said, giving him the stink eye.

"What? I was hungry! I didn't think you would've minded."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Pig," she replied, before digging in to the pancakes herself.

* * *

><p>After Draco and Scorpius left, Hermione and Ginny quickly apparated to the Leaky Cauldron where they exited to Muggle London. They made their way to Cici's Salon, where they were getting manicures and pedicures. The muggles did it better, and they wouldn't get recognized in Muggle London. They sat on the chairs, getting their toes done, when Ginny decided to breach the subject once more.<p>

"So, what was that this morning?"

"I told you, Scorpius was scared of the thunderstorm, and dragged Draco in to sleep with me!"

"You neglected to mention that you and Draco were sharing custody of Scorpius?" Ginny said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, shit, did I really? Must've slipped my mind."

"This is why we have a day just for us! I haven't seen you in forever, though I suppose you've been busy with Scorpius. And Draco too, mind you."

"Ginny, I'm sorry—"

"Don't be! I'm not blaming you; they would take up a lot of time."

"Thanks for being understanding. Really, Ginny."

The room was quiet for a bit, as polish dried. Ginny decided to take the plunge and ask the question that had been plaguing her mind since she saw them together."

"You've been so occupied with Draco and Scorpius, you don't think you've developed feelings for him, have you?"

"Scorpius? Of course! I love him like my own son."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Shut up, I know you know who I'm actually talking about."

"Draco?" Ginny nodded. "God, I don't know...I definitely have come to understand him more, and we've a mutual agreement concerning Scorpius. We've developed a good rapport, but I don't know how I feel about him. Though...I suppose...there are some feelings there."

Hermione turned to Ginny and relayed the story about hearing Draco speak her name in his sleep, and how she felt.

"Looks like your feelings are reciprocated," said Ginny with a wink. "_And_, I saw him checking you out this morning."Hermione's cheeks flushed red. "You should tell him if you love him," said Ginny sagely.

"You know, I think I do. But I don't know how to tell him." Hermione's mouth twisted in contemplation.

"You'll know when; the time will come," replied Ginny with a small smile.

"Thanks Ginny, what did I do to deserve a friend like you?"

"You put up with my idiotic brother."

* * *

><p>AN: GAHHHHH IM SO SORRY I'm an absolutely shit person and shit author—I left you guys for a whole year! What kind of person does that, seriously? Obviously me. *cries and hides under table preparing for onslaught of tomatoes*

Literally I had no time for myself this year, and the little breaks I had I was either studying and/or didn't have motivation to write :(

I'm thinking about changing my pen name to PenofaPhoenix – thoughts? :) cuz it's like I'm being reborn? I'm definitely going to try writing more—I've got myself a proper notebook again, since I finished using up my old one.

Also, I made a wattpad account for other stories...I'm thinking about posting up some original works maybe? I've a few ideas. Idk though. My account name is midnightrose111. I posted a One Direction Fanfiction there so if you would please check it out? It's called Summer Love, but it'll come up if you search my username ^^ I get better reception here though, haha. 3 Love you guys, and please please review if you're still here with me. And if you read this long ass author's note, comment '&&&' at the end of your review, and I'll give you all shoutouts ^^

~xx


	12. Chapter 12: Promises

A/N: I don't know if you guy noticed, but I changed my pen name to PenofaPhoenix :) What do you think?

Shoutouts to: Guest, dobby97, and Tacker23! Thank you, Guest, for your kind review. Thank you dobby97 for sticking with me, and reviewing multiple times! And thank you to Tacker23- your review actually made me really happy :) Fate is a funny thing, isn't it? Hehe

Now without further ado, I present to you...

* * *

><p>Chapter 12<p>

* * *

><p>Draco's heart dropped to his feet as he read the memo from his boss. He knew he had a mission coming up, but he didn't think it would be so soon. Not to mention, he'd be with Potter. They'd made amends years ago when they both started out as Aurors, but had maintained a professional relationship. Working together was expected though, seeing as how they were some of the best in their field. Not what Potter planned for sure; if he'd a say in it, it'd be Weasley as his partner. But this mission would require their most skilled Aurors, and other senior Aurors were scattered across the globe on other missions. <em>At least it was an opportunity to get closer to Potter<em>, he thought. He was surprised Mrs. Potter hadn't told Potter yet; otherwise, Potter would be currently barking at him. Now the real question was, how was he to break the news to Hermione and Scorpius?

"So, anything new at work?" Hermione stood in his kitchen, making dinner at the stove. _She looked so natural doing it_, he thought.

"Err...yea, but I'll tell you after dinner? Don't wanna ruin it."

Hermione's eyebrows creased in understanding. "That bad, huh?" Draco nodded.

After dinner, Scorpius was playing with his stuffed dragon when Hermione and Draco sat on either side of him.

"Scorpius, darling, your father has something to tell you." Scorpius looked between Hermione and Draco; their faces were solemn.

"I got word from the Auror Office today that I'm going on a mission soon."

"When?" asked Hermione, her eyes full of concern.

"In three days—I leave Sunday at the crack of dawn." Hermione's mouth pulled down into a frown.

"...but...Daddy, will you be home for my birthday?" Scorpius' lower lip quivered.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world. I promise I'll be there, no matter what." Draco smiled lovingly as the smile on Scorpius' face was restored.

"Scor darling, why don't you get ready for bed? It's getting quite late." Scorpius ran off, leaving Hermione and Draco alone. "I assume that's not all they told you about the mission?"

Draco nodded. "It's a capture mission of a Death Eater. Rabastan Lestrange to be exact."

"Oh." It appeared that Hermione's hunch had been correct. "I suppose he won't be happy to see you, then."  
>"I don't suppose he will. At least I'm going with Potter."<p>

"Oh, that's a bit more of a relief. I can count on you two to protect each other," said Hermione with a small smile. Draco hummed in agreement. "We ought to go to bed." Hermione made move to stand up.

"Stay with me tonight, yea?" Draco asked, almost pleadingly, as his hand reached out to wrap around her wrist. Hermione paused, looked back at Draco's face, and nodded. _Might as well enjoy Draco while he's here_.

* * *

><p>"Love you Scor," said Draco, leaning down to kiss him on the forehead. It was three in the morning and Draco had to leave. Hermione stood in the doorway, dressed in a navy bathrobe.<p>

"Stay safe, yea?" she said softly, wrapping her arms around Draco. Draco's arms tightened instinctively around her waist, pulling them flush against each other.

"I'll try, I really will. Now that I've you and Scor to come home to." He felt Hermione's lips curve up into a small smile against his chest. "But if I don't come back, I'm putting Scor in your care, okay?"

"Don't talk like that!" Hermione lifted her head from Draco's chest, eyes wide.

"I have to face the possibilities though. I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, fully entrust Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy to your care, Hermione Jean Granger." Hermione choked back a sob.

"I—I want you to come back in one piece, you hear?" 'I love you' was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I promise," said Draco, kissing the top of her head. Oh how he wanted to kiss her on the lips, but he didn't want her to get too emotionally invested. It was too late for that, it seemed. He tightened his arms one more time before letting go. "I'll see you in a few weeks, yea? Take care of yourself, Mione."

"You too, Draco, you too."

* * *

><p>Hermione and Ginny sat together on the couch in the Potter's living room, watching Jams, Albus, and Scorpius play together.<p>

"Who would've thought? A Malfoy playing with Potters?" Hermione let out a half-hearted chuckle in acknowledgement. "Still thinking about Draco, then?" asked Ginny knowingly.

"I can't help but feel something bad is going to happen…"

"Don't worry too much. They're due home tomorrow after all."

"Mm, I supposed. But we haven't had any contact with them at all! You don't supposed the Auror office would withhold information from us?"

"No, they'll tell us what they know, though there's little guarantee of them knowing much. We'll have to wait and see."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean your communication centres went down?!" A hysterical sob resonated through the foyer.<p>

The Auror looked sheepish. "Our communication centres crashed in some of the more remote locations, because of the storms, so some Aurors who were out on the field have lost communication. Communication can be restored by returning to a central communications centre, but not Aurors have been able to do that." The boss, Mr. Elderidge, walked out. Spotting Ginny, he made his way over.

"Sir, do you know whether Harry or Draco will be returning tonight?" asked Ginny.

"I don't believe they will, I'm afraid, but the last I had contact with them, they asked for a weeks' extension. I was under the impression they were close to capturing their target." Ginny nodded, silent. Mr. Elderidge saw the famous Hermione Granger next to Ginny. He couldn't help but have an inkling that she wasn't just here for her best friend Mr. Potter. He smiled to himself. Perhaps she was the reason for Mr. Malfoy's recent change in mood. If so, she was good for him; even though his hours were shorter, he was more productive. Who would've thought? But there've been stranger love stories…

"I hope they're alright," said Ginny after a long pause.

"They will be," said Hermione, though she didn't know whether she was reassuring Ginny or herself.

* * *

><p>Scorpius woke up to the smell of waffles. Bounding out of bed, he looked at the calendar. November 7th. He ran into the kitchen.<p>

"I'm 8 now, Mummy, I'm 8 now!"

Hermione froze, nearly causing the batter to drip. Did he just call her Mummy? Her heart skipped a beat.

"You are Angelo! You're a big boy now!"

"Does that mean I can get a broomstick now?"

"I dunno about that, darling. You'll have to wait until your party to find out." Draco had purchased a broomstick for Scorpius a while ago, and Hermione had kept it hidden in hopes that he'd be able to give it to Scorpius, but at this rate, he wouldn't make it…

"Mummy, where's Daddy? He promise he'd be home for my birthday…" Scorpius' smile turned upside down.

"I hope so darling, I hope so."

* * *

><p>Ginny had offered to host Scorpius' birthday party, seeing as how there wasn't enough room at either Draco or Hermione's apartments. After playing for a while, Hermione called back all the kids for cake.<p>

"Make a wish, Scor!" said Hermione with a smile.

_I wish my Daddy would come home safe. _Scorpius blew out the eight candles, after which Hermione and Ginny proceeded to cut the cake. Just then, the door to the backyard flew open with a bang! Ginny and Hermione's wands were out in an instant, pointed at the intruders, when they registered that it was Harry and Draco! Ginny made move to run toward Harry, when Hermione put out an arm to stop her.

"Harry, how did I destroy Hufflepuff's cup? Draco, what was the name I gave Scorpius when I first found him?"

Harry replied, "You used a basilisk fang; Ron got you in the Chamber." His mouth turned up slightly at the memory. Of course, Hermione hadn't changed at all, always the cautious one.

"Angelo, his name was Angelo," said Draco. "Italian for angel." Hermione's face lit up with a bright smile as she ran to hug Draco. Ginny and Harry were locked in an embrace, as well as a rather passionate liplock. "I missed you so much, Merlin. I wasn't sure whether I'd see you again," said Draco in a low murmur.

"It was unbearable, worrying and waiting for you. I'm so glad your back." Hermione leaned back and placed a kiss on Draco's lips, caught up in the high emotions. She pulled back, a light flush staining her cheeks. Scorpius' voice was heard. "Daddy! My wish came true!" Hermione backed off and made her way over to Ginny and Harry as Scorpius ran into Draco's embrace. They were talking about the mission, she realised.

"…lost connection, wasn't too bad. Mission didn't go as expected, but it was ok."

"And Lestrange? What happened to him?" asked Hermione.

"Dead," Harry answered bluntly. "Tried to kill Malfoy, made a misstep and went plunging down the depths of the cave."

"You're sure he's dead then?"

"There's no way he could've survived the fall. We used _Homonus_ _Revelio_ and got no response. Even if he'd be alive, he wouldn't have been able to put up defences quickly enough to block the spell. We sent another team down to check, just in case, but we had to come back." Hermione left Ginny and Harry alone and made her way to where Draco was playing with Scorpius. Even in dirt and dust in his hair, cuts and scrapes and bits of dried blood, Draco's face was still glowing just by being with his son. Hermione blushed at the memory of how she'd greeted him. Draco looked up, smiling at Hermione's nervous appearance.

"You did a good job with Scorpius," said Draco, as Scorpius ran off to play on his new broomstick.

"That's it? Am I just his babysitter now?" teased Hermione. "I'm not even getting paid!"

"Isn't my love enough payment for you?"

"Y—your love?" Hermione stuttered, shocked.

"Yes, my love. Though Scor loves you, I imagine it's quite different from what I feel. I love you Hermione, truly."

Hermione bit her lip, but smiled. "I love you too, Draco Malfoy." Draco's smile mirrored his own, as he scooped her in his arms and proceeded to kiss her passionately.

"We'll continue this tonight, yea?" he said with a wink, putting her down. Hermione's cheeks tinted pink at the thought of what he'd do—would he really live up to his reputation as Slytherin Sex God? It had been much too long since she'd gotten any, she thought. She squeezed his hand, as they left to rejoin the party.

* * *

><p>AN: *squeee!* they finally confessed their love for each other! Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? ;3; and oh...the dirty things Draco's going to do to her ;) *saucy wink*

So, what did you guys think about the chapter? I could've left you all on a cliffie and not known what happened, but I decided to be nice :P (Reviews are accepted as payment/thanks.)

Lmao what is life. As soon as I'm inspired and want to write, I have to do more physics/calculus T_T *sobs* #risingjuniorstruggles do you guys think I'm old? My mom thinks I'm too old to write Fanfiction. =_=

Do you guys think you can get me to 100 reviews by the next chapter? ;) I'd like that before I upload the next one! Again, if you read this long Author's note, comment ### for a shutout!

~xx, PenofaPhoenix

(signing out, Midnight Rose 97)

DramioneAddiction: hahaha your review made me laugh XD It's not the first time I've had one of these 'threatening' reviews, but luckily I'm updating (within a month) so no need for that ;)

Tacker23: Does this answer your question? ;) Don't worry, I've a lot more planned for Draco and Hermione~


	13. Chapter 13: Preparations

**A/N: Please read Author's Note at bottom of chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 13: Preparations<p>

* * *

><p>Hermione clutched her stomach as she hurled what was left of her breakfast. <em>Dear Merlin, why have I been feeling so sick lately?<em> she pondered. Ginny walked in through the floo.

"Still feeling sick?" she asked, sympathetic.

"Yea, I don't know why though."

"I suppose you're not up for going out then," said Ginny, seeing the state Hermione was in.

Hermione shook her head. "I supposed not."

"S'alright, I'll get a few movies or something and we can just relax."

Hermione and Ginny were watching _Fast and Furious 6_ when Ginny looked over to see Hermione in tears. She raised an eyebrow.

"How could you be so heartless? She just _died_, sacrificing herself for the one she loved! It's so sad and romantic at the same time!" Pausing the movie, Ginny bit her lip.

"Mione, when was the last time you had your period?"

"Huh?"

"Your period. When did you just have it? Are you late?"

"Late…? Are you implying what I think you are?" Hermione furrowed her brow in concentration. Her eyes opened in realization. "I'm a week late, but it happens sometimes. My period is occasionally irregular, especially when I'm stressed out!"

"Hermione, love, you're rambling. My suspicions may be unfounded, but I have had three kids already, so you might want to listen to the veteran here." Hermione nodded, silent. "Let's get a spell test performed. Wait, let me get the book, I have it at home." Ginny floo'ed back to the Potter residence, as Hermione sat, restless, on the couch. _Could I really be pregnant? We'd been completely safe! _Hermione thoughts ran through her head. _Shit. Except for that first night…after Scorpius' birthday_. She gulped at the thought, as Ginny returned with the book in her hand.

"Okay, I'll just wave my wand, like this… _praeseminatio revelio_." Hermione's stomach glowed a pale green.

"What's green mean?" asked Hermione.

Ginny bit her lip. "It means you're positive."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. "I know it's Draco's, but….how do I tell him?"

"You plan on keeping it, then?"

"Of course! Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl?"

"Not yet; you can't really distinguish until after the 9th week visually, unless you get the amniotic fluid tested. It probably hasn't been long. We can go to a hospital to check, if you want."

Hermione nodded mutely. "Muggle hospital though."

"Of course," said Ginny, agreeing. When she'd gone to St. Mungo's, the paparazzi had followed her and immediately reported on her pregnancies. So much for patient confidentiality.

* * *

><p>"Congratulations! You've a healthy baby! Would you like to know the gender?"<p>

"No, please," replied Hermione. "I think I'd like the father to be here to know that." The nurse nodded in understanding. _How the hell was she supposed to tell Draco she was pregnant?!_

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the Potter residence, a certain blond was engaged in a serious discussion the Boy Who Lived.<p>

"I know Mione and I've only been properly dating for a month or so, but she's been such an integral part of my life for so long now- I just didn't realize it! You know, Scor's started calling her 'Mum'? She'd make the perfect mother. What I'm trying to say is…I want to marry her. Make it official. We already share the custody of a child so it won't be a huge change. I…I came here to ask for your approval?"

Harry grinned internally. It was refreshing to see the normally so cool and collected Draco Malfoy be so flustered. "I do, Malfoy."

Draco snorted. "We're not getting married, Potter. Not sure how Ginevra would feel about you breaking your nuptials."

Harry chuckled. "You know what I mean, Malfoy; I approve. Because Hermione deserved happiness and Scorpius brings that to her, so you do as well, inadvertently." Harry's voice trailed off. "You know what was hardest for Mione? She always wanted a kid, and she never got to have one, so you can see why she bonded so quickly with Scorpius. She's always been too selfless." This got the cogs in Draco's head turning: Hermione wanted a kid? She'd never mentioned it…hmm… Harry began speaking again. "Remember what I told you, Malfoy," he said, raising his eyebrows in warning. "She's like my sister, so…" Draco's mouth quirked up in a grin, throwing Harry off.

"Second time's the charm, right?"

Harry let out a laugh. "Third time's the charm is the saying, but that's the attitude!"

"Now…how do I propose?"

"Choose a rock first," advised Harry. "Then you can plan the proposal. Knowing Hermione, she won't want anything showy or extravagant."

Draco nodded. He had an idea of what to get Hermione.

* * *

><p>"Mother?" Draco called out. A grey-haired Narcissa greeted him. The war had taken a toll on her, of course. Few were left unscathed by its events or aftermath.<p>

"Draco dear, it's so good to see you! What brings you here?"

"I've come to ask for your assistance. In selecting an engagement ring, to be exact. I'm going to propose to Hermione, and you can't stop me—"

"Darling, do you think I would? All I ever wanted for you was to be happy," said Narcissa softly, a small smile on her face.

"So you're okay that it's Hermione?"

"Miss Granger? Of course! Blaise took the liberty of informing me of your…ah…situation regarding Scorpius. I think you two will make me _lovely_ grandchildren." Narcissa winked. "Now, about that engagement ring…let's check the family vaults, yea?"

After perusing the collections, Draco decided on one ring design. He then floo'ed to France, where he went to their family jewelers in Paris. He placed two rings on the glass counter.

Monsieur Dumas eyed the rings. "Mais Monsieur Malfoy, une de ces bagues est Muggle, et l'autre c'est de manière magique ! » (But Mr. Malfoy, one of these rings are Muggle, and the other is magical !)

« Oui Monsieur. Mais la bague Muggle est une antiquité, une pièce de l'histoire. Je voudrais que vous pouvez utiliser cette bague pour recréer la bague Malfoy. » Monsieur Dumas nodded. (Yes, mister. But the muggle ring is an antique, a piece of history. I would like it if you could use this ring to recreate the Malfoy ring.)

« Bien sur, Monsieur…mais nous devons plus de bijoux. » (Of course, sir…but we need more jewels.)

« Ah oui, est-ce que je peux l'acheter ici ? » (Ah, yes, can I buy them here ?)

« Oui Monsieur. » Monsieur Dumas led Draco around the bijouterie, when a stunning ruby caught Draco's eye. (Yes, sir)

"Ah, vous avez les bonnes yeux. Le rubis, le feu, l'amour, la flamme. C'est un beau bijou, non ? » (Ah, you have good eyes. The ruby, the fire, love, the flame. It's a beautiful gem, no?)

Draco nodded. « Est-ce que vous pouvez l'utiliser pour le bijou centre ? Les diamants et les émeraudes peuvent devenir les bijoux extérieurs. » Monsieur Dumas nodded his agreement and left, promising to have the ring welded and finished in two weeks time. It would require much skill to successfully weld together the yellow gold and white gold, but what Malfoys want, Malfoys get, and Monsieur Dumas was certainly capable. Draco floo'ed back to London, satisfied. (Could you use it for the center gem? The diamonds and emeralds can become the exterior jewels.)

"So, did it go well?" Narcissa's face shone brightly with excitement; her life had been much too dull recently, what with Lucius in Azkaban and Cousin Éli managing Malfoy Enterprises.

"Yes, I think it will go well. I know Monsieur Dumas is capable."

"Why didn't you just use the Malfoy ring if you liked it so much?"

"I just felt that Hermione wouldn't appreciate it as much, it being pureblood legacy. Also, with the whole pureblood bigotry, I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few curses on it. I think Hermione would appreciate a bit of muggle history—she'll be wearing one of Joséphine de Beauharnais' rings!"

Narcissa smiled in agreement. "Draco, do you think you would mind bringing her over for tea? It needn't be at the cottage or at the manor; we can go to Diagon Alley and have it there. I'd like to get to know the girl, if she is to be your future wife and all. If Scorpius adores her that much, I'm sure she's a wonderful person."

Draco smiled back. "I'll ask her; I don't think she'll have a problem with it, Mother."

"Thank you darling."

* * *

><p>"What? You're asking me to meet your mother? Why?" Hermione was a bit shocked at Draco's request.<p>

"It's just for tea in Diagon Alley—you'll have nothing to worry about," said Draco calmly, thinking she was worried about Hermione's terrible experience in the Manor during the war.

"Merlin, of course there's reason to worry! What if she doesn't like me? What if I—"

Scorpius walked into the living room.

"What if who doesn't like you, Mummy? How could someone not like you?" His eyes were wide with concern.

Draco answered Scorpius' question. "Your grandmother, Narcissa."

"Grammy? Of course she'll like you, Mummy! Grammy is very nice," Scorpius reassured Hermione with a big smile, proudly showing of a gaping hole where he'd just lost a tooth. Another one of his teeth was loose as well.

"Mione, what if we bring Scor too? Would that calm you?" Draco suggested.

"Oh alright. I'll go meet you mother," Hermione smiled, resigned.

"Great! I'll go reply back to her owl," and Draco left to go do just that.

* * *

><p>AN: Shoutouts to: DramioneAddiction! 3 Siriusly you're awesome for reviewing and replying to me ^^

Seriously guys, I was kind of disappointed by the response to the last chapter :'( They confessed their love for each other!:D I wanted to hit 100 reviews...but hopefully I can get that with this chapter? *hopeful smile*

Anyways, if you've read my profile, you'll know I'm a junior in high school, and it's no ordinary high school, mind you. l o l. Anyways, it translates to I have a sh*tton of work to do, and very little time to do it. I have a few chapters prewritten, so hopefully those will tide me over until Thanksgiving/Christmas, but I'm thinking of ending the story around 20 chapters (plus or minus 2 for the epilogue). **Please head over to my profile! **I have a poll up on what you think my next work should be, and I _really_ want your guys' input, because I'm super indecisive l o l.

xoxo


	14. Chapter 14: Teatime

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. But here's chapter 14! Happy holidays!

* * *

><p>Chapter 14: Teatime<p>

Hermione grabbed a glass of water and downed her prenatal vitamins, as well as an ibuprofen—she already had a headache, unfortunately. After regurgitating this morning's breakfast (again), she didn't feel quite as chipped she would've hoped. Luckily, Draco was out with Scorpius getting a new suit or something, so he wasn't there to nag her about her tiny lunch of vegetable soup, though it was all she could stomach at the moment.

_I'll just rest for a bit_, she thought, and closed her eyes, before drifting off into sleep. Her phone went off, and she picked up.

"Ello?" she answered groggily.

"Hermione, were you asleep? Tsk, tsk." Ginny's familiar voice rang through the speakers. "I was going to drop by to help you get ready for tea with Narcissa."

"Tea? Oh shit!" Hermione looked at the clock—it read 2:17, and she had tea at 3!

She ran to her closet and pulled out her navy skirt set. She was attempting to zip the skirt when Ginny came through the floo.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, you're going to tea, not a business meeting!"

"Gin! It's getting tight!" moaned Hermione. While she didn't show yet, she'd already gained a pound or two around her waist.

"That's normal, Mione! Now put this on!"Ginny threw a peach-coloured A-line dress at Hermione's head. Hermione pulled it on. The neckline and lack of sleeves made her look leaner and more elegant, she thought. She needed it now. "Sit!" exclaimed Ginny, quickly applying a light layer of makeup. Ginny waved her wand and Hermione's unruly waves fell into soft curls. Grabbing a coral lipstick and handbag, Hermione was out the door.

* * *

><p>"There you are!" exclaimed Draco, seeing Hermione speed-walking into the Leaky Cauldron. "I was worried you'd be late!"<p>

"Mummy looks really pretty," said Scorpius, giving Hermione a hug.

"And you, darling, look quite dapper!" said Hermione, bending down to give Scorpius a kiss.

"What does dapper mean?" asked Scorpius.

"You're very handsome and look clean, like a gentleman. Just like your father," replied Hermione.

"Don't I get a kiss too?" teased Draco.

"Well I didn't hear a compliment from you, did I?" Hermione bantered.

"Well, I think you look beautiful," Draco said softly, leaning in to give her a kiss.

"Ew!" exclaimed Scorpius.

"What, you get to kiss Mummy and I don't?" asked Draco.

"Mhm!" Scorpius affirmed, crossing his arms across his chest. Hermione let out a giggle.

"Let's go, loves." With that, Draco placed his hand around Hermione's waist and led them down the street, with Scorpius' hand tightly clasped in Hermione's.

* * *

><p>Narcissa looked up from the Daily Prophet as a tea was set in front of her.<p>

"Thank you, Mr. Fortescue."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Please, do call me Narcissa."

"As you wish, Narcissa. Will that be all?"

"Ah, no. I 'm expecting some company soon. They should be here any minute now."

"I see. I'll be back in ten minutes then?"

"Thank you very much." Young Mr. Fortescue scampered away. _What a sweet boy_, Narcissa thought. She looked up and saw her company strolling down the street. She smiled as Draco leaned down to whisper something in Hermione's ear, to which Hermione turned and replied to him, adoration in her eyes. She noted the way Draco's arm was wrapped possessively around Hermione's waist, and the way in which Hermione held Scorpius' hand. She stood up and waved to get Draco's attention. The trio made their way over.

"Hello again, Mother," said Draco, leaning in to give Narcissa a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello Mrs. Malfoy," greeted Hermione, unsure what to do. She extended her arm for a handshake but was surprised to be greeted with a hug.

"Call me Narcissa, dear."

"Grammy!" said Scorpius, wrapping his arms around Narcissa's legs.

"Hello, dear!"

"I do love your dress, Hermione," commented Narcissa. Hermione looked up from where she was playing with Scorpius.

"Oh thank you! It's from a muggle brand, Lilly Pulitzer."

"Well then, you must take me shopping in the muggle world. Their clothes are quite lovely. I expect we'll be seeing more of each other in the future?"

"Of course; I'd love that," replied Hermione. Tea had gone much better than anticipated; Narcissa was much nicer than she let on. With the expansion of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour to include a café and bakery, the fingerfood was delicious as well.

* * *

><p>Noticing that the adults were getting ready to leave, Scorpius pulled on Hermione's hand. "Mummy, can we go to Honeydukes?" They had opened up a store in Diagon Alley after the war, and it fast became one of Scorpius' favourite stores.<p>

"Why, aren't you full from tea?"

"Yes, but I promised Antonia and Emmett I would get some candy for them! Please, mummy, please?"

Hermione looked up. "Draco? Narcissa?"

"I've no problem with it," affirmed Narcissa, smiling at how Scorpius called Hermione 'mummy.' It wouldn't really be a change, then, once Draco popped the question.

* * *

><p>"You might want to see this, sir," said Michael Thompson, his assistant, handing Draco today's issue of <em>The Daily Prophet<em>. Plastered on the front cover was "Malfoy heir finds love?" and numerous photos of his excursions with Hermione, Scorpius, and Narcissa. Draco tilted his head in acknowledgement, before going into his office to work. _How would Hermione react?_

* * *

><p>An elf brought in <em>the Daily Prophet<em> along with breakfast. Narcissa opened it and was surprised to see her face plastered on the front cover. "Malfoy heir finds love?" the headline proclaimed. _The people at the Daily Prophet were obviously not getting much brighter_, she thought with an eye roll. She went on to read the article, which put them in quite a favourable light, commenting on how happy they all seemed and how healthy Hermione appeared. Narcissa examined the photos—Hermione _did_ look much healthier than when she was last in the news, celebrating the end of the war. She also appeared to have barely put on a few pounds around her waist and bust. _Thank Merlin—all the overwork was making her too skinny!_ thought Narcissa. Her eyes noticed one photo, where Hermione appeared to be lightly touching her stomach... It couldn't be indigestion or cramps, because Narcissa would've noticed the emotions marring Hermione's face. Instead, she looked quite content and blissful. Come to think of it, Hermione had almost been glowing, hadn't she? Narcissa called for a house elf.

"Yes, Missus Narcissa? You called for Harper?"

"Yes, Harper. Could you go to Miss Hermione Granger's office at the Ministry of Magic and invite her to lunch at the cottage?" Harper nodded before bowing and disappearing with a 'pop!'

Hermione entered through the floo, and stumbled slightly. "Hi Narcissa, how are you? You called?"

"I did, Hermione. I'm quite well, thank you. I assume you've seem today's issue of _The Daily Prophet_?"

"Of course."

"I'm going to ask you a question, and I'd like you to think about it seriously before you give me an answer." Hermione nodded. "Do you think that you may be pregnant?"

A pregnant pause filled the air. _How could she know? I thought she was going to ask about Draco…_

Hermione opened her mouth. "Yes, I am."

Narcissa's eyes opened wide. "How far along are you?"

"About 5-6 weeks." Narcissa nodded.

"Have you told Draco yet?"  
>"No, I don't know how to break it to him. I was going to wait until after I finished my first trimester…"<p>

"I agree. I think you could wait. But I do think you should tell him when the time is right, else he'll explode if he finds out in other ways. Your first trimester is the most sensitive though—it's possible to have a miscarriage. Mrs. Potter, Ginevra, is it? She and I could help you; we want the best for the baby."

"Maria Zabini could help as well."

"That's great! We should arrange a meeting this week, perhaps on Saturday, to discuss your…ah…condition."

Hermione nodded. "I'm free around 3, would you like to come to my flat for tea?"

"No, no that's not necessary. We can accommodate here. You're taking all the necessary vitamins and such?"

"Yes, of course."

"Great, I'll see you then."

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry for the long wait again! Thank winter break l o l. I'm *3 reviews away* from 100 reviews on Runaway! And I know ff has been kind of dead lately, but please, if you're reading, leave a review, even if it's only a sentence! Much love, PenofaPhoenix

A/N 2: thoughts? :) I wanted Narcissa to be really nice; I hate it when she's portrayed as a pureblooded-bigot who sticks to the old ideals. I always portrayed her as someone who truly wanted what was best for the family—like how in DH she lied to the Dark Lord to protect Draco. :3 So we now know that people other than Ginny will find out she's pregnant...but how do you think Draco will find out? :O

Please review!~

~xx PenofaPhoenix ( 97)


	15. Chapter 15: Decorations

**Disclaimer: **I obviously own nothing. Otherwise I'd be paid to write and I wouldn't have to struggle through high school. #dead #done

ENJOY and please REVIEW!

**Chapter 15: Decorations**

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><p>"The baby's developing quite nicely, Miss Jean," said the physician's assistant, showing her the ultrasound. "You're nearly 7 weeks along. Would you like me to print out the sonogram?"<p>

"Yes please."

"How many copies, ma'am?" Hermione looked outside to see the rest of her entourage crowded outside the door. Cracking a smile, she replied, "Five copies please."

"Your next checkup with be at 9 weeks, so we'll be able to distinguish the gender of the baby on the ultrasound. Would you like to bring in the father?" asked the PA prudently, having almost said husband, but noting the lack of a ring on Miss Jean's finger.

"I'll try," replied Hermione. The PA smiled pityingly. Hermione stood up and exited the room after collecting her sonograms.

"Let me see!" Ginny exclaimed, taking a sonogram from Hermione's hands. She and Maria cooed over the sonogram, while Hermione pulled Narcissa over.

"The PA's asked me to bring in Draco for the next appointment. We'll be able to find out the gender then."

Narcissa nodded. "I feel like the right time will come soon."

* * *

><p>Draco and Scorpius were having a lazy day, staying at Draco's flat. They both were exhausted after Draco took Scorpius flying.<p>

"I wonder what Hermione's doing," he thought aloud.

"She was with Miss Ginny," said Scorpius simply.

"They're always together, aren't they?"

"Mhm." Another silence settled over the room. "Daddy, isn't it going to be Christmas soon?"

"Is it?" Draco checked the calendar. "It is! Dear Merlin!"

"What are we going to do?" asked Scorpius, eyes wide.

"We're going to surprise Mione!" Draco decided. "Come on, Scor—we've got some decorating to do!"

* * *

><p>Ginny's phone buzzed. After the war, many muggle inventions had been implemented in the wizarding world after a few adjustments and tweaks.<p>

She looked at the screen.

_HARRY: keep hermy distracted, make sure she doesn't return to the flat._

_GINNY: OK, but y?_

_HARRY: draco and scor have a surprise 4 her ;)_

_GINNY: got it (:_

Ginny whispered to Maria, who nodded in agreement.

"Mione, do you want to stop for some tea?" Maria suggested.

"Oh that'd be lovely!" said Narcissa.  
>"I don't know….I should probably go back to the flat…" said Hermione, biting her lip.<p>

Ginny waves her arms, making an X, catching Narcissa's attention.

"No, it's quite alright. I'm sure they wouldn't mind," Narcissa assured Hermione.

"Well, if you're certain…why not?" Hermione shrugged and followed Maria into a street café. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Draco and Scorpius were at a Muggle mall, attempting to purchase Christmas decorations. While Draco had made excursions into the Muggle world before, he wasn't used to being in such large crowds. Scorpius dragged Draco to the large Marks and Spencer display, which was complete with large-scale toys, like a nutcracker and a rocking reindeer.<p>

"Daddy! Look!" Scorpius pointed to the giant Christmas tree in the Atrium, decorated woth glass ornaments, tinsel, and lights. "Can we get one?"

"We can, but not one _that_ large," Draco said with a chuckle. Scorpius and Draco wandered into a store where they purchased strings of lights, after which they went to buy a fake Christmas tree. After much deliberation, they chose a large tree with a wide base. Much too Scorpius' delight, they also bought four dozen ornaments, which ironically, were in red and green. Scorpius was given the honour of choosing the tree topper—he was particularly enthralled by a gold and silver starburst.

After shrinking everything down to size (especially that blasted Christmas tree), Draco and Scorpius apparated back to the complex apparation point. Scorpius bounded up the stairs, carrying the lights. Draco eyed the clock. It was nearly 4 o'clock, and Potter informed him that Ginny would probably be able to divert Hermione's attention until 7.

Walking into the living room, he was surprised to see Scor levitating the couch, slowly but surely. Draco smiled—his son really displayed a precocious magical talent. Draco helped reshuffled the rest of the furniture and restored the Christmas tree to its original size. After placing an unbreakable charm on the ornaments (Who knows what would happen when Scorpius and Emmett were playing together?), the father-son duo began decorating the tree, interlacing the branches with multicolored Christmas lights and alternating red and green ornaments. They lined the wall with icicle lights before they were done.

"OK, Scor, let's plug the lights in 3…2…1!" The pair plugged them in, expecting the room to be illuminated, but…nothing happened!

Scorpius' lower lip began to quiver. "D-daddy, M-mummy's going to be sad if it doesn't work…"

Draco looked at the clock. _Shit shit shit_. It was already 6:32! What could be wrong? "Don't worry Scor—I'll fix it! Just wait a second!" Draco made his way over to the floo and called out "Potter Residence," popping his head into the green flames. "Ay, Potter!"  
>"What, Malfoy?"<p>

"Err…my lights aren't working."

"Huh?" Harry pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, not sure if he had heard Draco correctly.

"Christmas lights. I bought Christmas lights with Scor today but they won't light and now Scor's in tears!"

"Are they Muggle?"

Draco nodded. "That's why I thought you could help…" Harry rolled his eyes.

"You need a spell—I've it in a book." Just then, they heard footsteps. Draco pulled his head out of the fire, just in time, as Ginny and Hermione walked into the office.

"I thought I heard voices in here," commented Hermione.

"Telephone call," Harry said nonchalantly. "I have to find a book for a coworker. But it's good to see you, Mione. Will you stay for dinner?"

"No, you've already been too kind to me already—"

"Nonsense! You're family!" interjected Ginny vehemently.

"…but I really should be getting back to Draco and Scor."

Ginny bit her lip in contemplation, trying to buy as much time as she could. "At least come up and see James and Albus!"

"Of course! How could I not?" Hermione and Ginny left, chattering once more. Harry quickly found the book and marked the page, before shoving it through the floo to Draco.

Draco was sitting on the floor, trying to consol Scorpius, when the book, _Electroniks in the Wizard World_, flew through the floo and conked Draco on the head. A stream of giggles gurgled from Scorpius' mouth.

"What? It takes your Dad getting injured to make you stop crying?" Draco asked, mock-accusatorily. He quickly flipped to the marked page, noting the incantation. As a post-script, Harry had added, "H is coming home soon! Hurry!" Draco's eyes widened. "Psst, Scor! Go keep a watch at the door and tell me when Mione's coming!" Scorpius nodded and scampered away, as Draco went around muttering the incantations.

"Daddy, she's coming!" Scorpius ran from the door to join him father, as they crouched in the shadows. Draco closed his eyes as he heard Hermione walk into the flat. He placed his finger on the switch and prayed….3…2…1…

The room was bathed in bright glittering lights, appearing like a crystalline dream. The Christmas tree was colourfully illuminated, with the setting sky as a backdrop. A gasp emanated from Hermione, as Draco and Scorpius stepped out from behind the tree. Scorpius ran to Hermione and hugged her legs. Looking up through long blonde lashes, he asked, "Do you like it, Mommy?"

Hermione was still speechless and could only manage a nod. Draco's mouth turned up in a crooked grin. "Happy Christmas, love."

* * *

><p>AN: **Thank you for the 100 reviews! :D **It's such a milestone for me. ^^ Shoutout to: **chapou69,** my 100th reviewer! I love all of you guys for reviewing, I really do appreciate each and every one.

Sorry for the long wait again. :( I'm a terrible author, I know, but I have a different excuse this time! ;D I'm working on writing a full-length original novel! :) It's not that great of an excuse, I know, but my time unfortunately is limited, and as a result, I have to prioritize - sometimes I go weeks without writing anything because school is insane!

I'm putting this in writing: I'm going to update this story once per month! I know it doesn't seem like a lot, especially when compared to some of the other authors on this site, but it's better than what I was doing before, right? XD

Anyways, **please review **(if you read this, put "regulus" in your review for a shoutout!), and don't forget to **vote on the poll for my next work **(on my profile)! Thanks! :)


	16. Chapter 16: Datenight

A/N: An update for April as promised! :) Please **vote** on my poll for my next work once you finish reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter 16: Datenight<strong>

Hermione sat at her desk at work, smiling at the memory of last night. Draco and Scorpius had surprised her; she was so preoccupied with work (and the baby) she'd nearly forgotten it was Christmas. Needless to say, she was quite impressed with their aptitude with the Muggle electronics. Draco had also asked her to officially move in with him – they would start packing and moving later this week. An inter-department memo flew through her door. _How fitting,_ she thought. _It was from Draco_. She tore open the paper, and in Draco's elegant script:

_HG—_

_Meet me at our flat at 7 to night. Wear something nice._

_DM_

Hermione smiled as she folded up the note and put it in her planned. She couldn't wait!

* * *

><p>Hermione arrived at the doorstep at 7 o'clock sharp, in a simple navy wrap dress. She was greeted by Scorpius, who was dressed in a little black muggle suit.<p>

"What's this for?" she asked, bemused.

"You'll see," replied Scorpius with a cheeky grin. Hermione followed him inside, where she found Draco equally dashing in a tux.

"Hello Hermione, you look lovely tonight," Draco said, a small smile gracing his features. "Now, you've seen _most_ of this flat, but being the penthouse suite has its perks…" Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and led her to a door, which she believes for a long time to be a closet. She was wrong.

Opening the second set of doors, she saw a dimly lit staircase.

"You're not going to murder me up here, are you?" she teased.

"Damn Granger, you found me out! You and your big brain, fooling my plans!" They both laughed, as Hermione followed Draco up the stairs.

"Oh my." Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the twinkling night sky, glittering with a thousand stars. Draco couldn't help but smile at the enthralled look on Hermione's face—it was like a kid in a candy shoppe. He took her hand once more, and led her to an iron-wrought table with matching chairs. Hermione stepped in the area, which had powerful warming charms strategically placed, as well as small votive jars of bluebell flames.

Set on the table was a small platter of crackers and cheese, as well as a bottle of Chardonnay. Draco made move to pour two glasses when Hermione put out a hand to stop him.

"I don't feel like having alcohol tonight, but you go ahead." Draco looked at her quizzically, but didn't ask further. Instead, they focused on the pan-seared trout brought by Harry and Scorpius. How Draco managed to convince Harry to do this, Hermione had no idea, but she was grateful.

"So, Draco, what brought on the sudden romantic-ness?" asked Hermione, tilting her head coyly.

"So the great Granger is now making up words?" Draco chuckled. "Have I not been romantic enough before?" Draco responded, mock-offended.

"Scor _did_ take up a lot of time…" she said, raising a brow. A smile quirked on Draco's face.

"That he did."

"But really, Draco." The question was still palpable in the air.

"I—I just realized how special you are to Scorpius and me. And maybe I didn't show it to you enough. So—" Hermione's breath caught in her throat. "—I thought I'd treat you to a proper date." For some reason, Hermione had felt like Draco might've proposed, but alas, she was wrong. That was the second time this evening!

Draco swallowed thickly. The little velvet box suddenly felt extremely heavy in his pocket. The awkward silence was luckily interrupted by Scorpius bounding up the stairs to present them with dessert—a delicious raspberry lemon cake.

"Mmm…this is delicious!" The taste was positively orgasmic! They blend of sweet and sour, as well as the light airy sponge cake, was doing wonders to her mouth. She was pretty sure the sounds coming out of her mouth were quite arousing as well, if Draco's seemingly uncomfortable position across the table indicated anything. "You alright, Draco?"

"I'm fine, love," replied Draco tersely.

Hermione licked her fork rather suggestively and let out another small moan. Draco continued fidgeting. _Tease_, he thought to himself.

"You sure you're alright?" asked Hermione innocently, taking another bite out of the cake.

"Merlin Hermione!" Draco stood up and came to her side of the table and knocked the fork out of her hand.

"Hey I was enjoying that cake!" exclaimed Hermione, indignant.

"I bloody well know you were," growled Draco. "Too much if you ask me." He then proceeded to pepper kisses on her face. "You," _kiss, _"are," _kiss,_ "positively,"_ kiss,_ "conniving," _kiss, _"you," _kiss,_ "bloody," _kiss, _"seductress." Their lips made contact, finally, as Draco thoroughly ravished her mouth.

"You're better than dessert," teased Hermione, before she dove in for another kiss.

Draco panted as he and Hermione broke apart for air. His arousal was obvious, both in the way his eyes darkened and the noticeable bulge in his pants. Hermione reached down but he stopped her.

"As much as I'd like to shag your brains out, I don't think it would appropriate on the roof. It wasn't very gentlemanly of me," he apologized. Hermione frowned. She was _so horny_, though her hormones might have a role to play in that. "I promise to make it up to you when you move in," whispered Draco seductively, sending a shiver of anticipation down Hermione's spine.

"You better keep your promise, mister," retorted Hermione, poking him in the chest.

"I'm a man of my word," he said with a wink.

* * *

><p>By the time Draco and Hermione made their way back into the flat, Scorpius and Harry were watching a movie.<p>

"Whatcha watching buddy?" asked Draco.

"Pooh! The adventures of… uhh…. Whiskey the Pooh!"

At this, both Hermione and Harry burst out laughing. Draco looked at them,. Confused.

"Well, darling, I hope Scor doesn't develop your penchant for alcohol!" Seeing both Draco and Scorpius bewildered, she clarified. "It's _Winnie_ the Pooh, not Whiskey!" Hermione let out a final chuckle before he stood up.

"I'm going to head home," he said, moving towards the floo. "Gin's expecting me."

"Thanks for looking after Scor," said Hermione with a smile.

"Anything for you, Mione," replied Harry with a smile, before he stepped in the floo, and with a whoosh of green flame, was gone.

Scorpius' mouth opened in a wide yawn. "Scor, darling, isn't it time for you to go to sleep?"

"No!" he replied vehemently.

"Scorpius…"

Scorpius pouted but got off the couch and went to his bedroom.

"I'll get him ready for bed," offered Hermione. Draco nodded in appreciation, and went up to clear up the remnants of dinner. He returned downstairs to hear a giggle come from Scorpius' room.

"No, Mummy! I can do it myself!" insisted Scorpius as he attempted to do up all the buttons on his flannel pajama shirt.

"Of course Scor, you're a big boy!" Draco leaned in the doorframe, smiling as he watched Scorpius do up the last button.

"That's my boy!" he said with a grin, as Scorpius raised his arms in a 'tada!' motion.

"I can take care of Scorpius from here," offered Draco.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yup. And then we can move your stuff on Saturday!"

Hermione's grin mimicked his own.

"I'll be leaving now then."

"Goodnight, love," said Draco, pecking her on the lips before she left.

Scorpius looked at Draco with big eyes.

"Daddy, do you love Mummy? Uncle Harry says he loves Aunt Ginny…"

"You've been talking to Potter, then? To answer your question, yes, I do love Hermione. Very much. In fact, I was going to ask her to marry me."

"Is that where she wears a big white dress and everyone dresses fancy?"

Draco chucked. "Yes. If Mione says yes, then you really can call her Mummy."

"What do you mean?"

"Mione's your mother figure, but by law, she's only a guardian, not your mum. But if she becomes my wife, she'll officially be your mummy."

"Does that mean I can't call her Mummy until you ask her to be your wife?" Scorpius asked, pouting.

"Merlin, no, Scor! You can still call her Mummy—I think it makes her very happy."

"Good. I like seeing Mummy happy," said Scorpius before falling asleep, a smile on his angelic face.

* * *

><p>AN: Please read and review! Happy Spring Break to those students who have it, and happy early Easter to those who celebrate! It's getting really close to crunch time in school (APs and what not) so writing will definitely be really hard, but I'll try and keep my promise and update after APs are over (my last AP is May 14th). **Please vote on my poll** for what my next work should be! I'm currently participating in a few fests, so those should be up around the beginning of June once I finish writing them. ^^ I'd love to hear what you think! :D

**SHOUTOUTS TO: **tacker23 and Kristen Giesler! :) Thanks for being fabulous reviewers! :D I'll do it differently this time - if you vote on my poll, I'll give you guys a shoutout ;D (Please PM me or let me know in a review if you do; FF doesn't show me who votes) And give you a shoutout in that story if/when I do that idea.


	17. Chapter 17: Holidays

**A/N: **I apologise for the horrendously long wait. I'm a senior in high school (Year 12?) which means I'm applying to uni and everything which is stressful enough to say the least, without worrying about updating writing. The only writing I'm really doing is college essays -_- But I did manage to find the time to churn out a chapter for you guys (it's Christmas themed!) so I hope you enjoy it! Think of it as my Christmas gift to you all. And to everyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas, happy non-denominational holiday! Please read and review! xx

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><p>Chapter 17<p>

Draco strolled through Diagon Alley, as the twinkling faeries and enchanted glittering snow shone from above. _What to get, what to get?_ He thought. Some Christmas gifts were easy—chocolates, books, and the like, but he couldn't find a suitable gift for Hermione…

Stopping at Scrivenshaft's, he walked in. Perhaps they would have something suitable.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hermione was in Muggle London, struggling just the same. Scorpius was with Maria, playing with Antonia, while Draco was "running errands." <em>What do you get the man who has everything? <em>She pondered aloud.

"I don't know, Mione, but we can try the ties."

Hermione jumped a foot in the air, her hand on her wand. Her red-haired best friend giggled.

"Merlin, Ginny!"

"Great minds think alike, aye? I was coming to do some Christmas shopping for Harry. Why don't we check out the chocolate shoppe?" After thoroughly sampling the chocolates, Ginny bought an assortment box for the family, as well as a small tin of Bailey's Irish Cream chocolates Hermione had been eying. Spotting a box of raspberry chocolates, Hermione quickly paid—raspberries were Draco's favourite!

The shoppe also had a display of other celebrations' desserts. "Look Mione!" Ginny pointed through the glass.

Hermione turned around and saw little chocolate figurines. Of course, Ginny was pointing to the rattle, bottle, and alphabet blocks.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Must you be so conspicuous, Ginny?"

"Yes, I must." Hermione snickered as she grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her out of the shoppe.

As luck would have it, a maternity store was across the street. Taking advantage of the fact that Hermione's hand was tightly clasped in her own, Ginny pulled her in.

"Hello dears! Happy Christmas! Is one of you expecting?" greeted the all-too-cheerful salesperson.

"No we're just looking—"

"—for some 'I'm going to be a Dad!' wear?" interrupted Ginny, a gleeful smile on her face.

"Oh! Of course! Follow me," said the saleswoman brightly, leading them towards a section of 'menswear.' The t-shirts screamed tacky, with phrases like "Daddy-to-be" and "I'm expecting a baby boy/girl!" and "Welcome to our newest addition to the family!" Hermione snorted. She couldn't picture Draco _ever_ wearing a shirt like that.

"You plan on telling him during Christmas, right?" Ginny probed.

"I dunno. I was, but I don't want to ruin Christmas…"

"Darling, I don't think you will. I'd venture to say Draco might be pleased. After all, Narcissa supports you…"

Hermione bit her lip.

"Just buy it as a gag gift," suggested Ginny. Hermione giggled and grabbed a white shirt, not knowing the gender of the baby yet. She hoped Draco wouldn't react poorly to it. She should invite Narcissa over for Christmas. At least she'd have some support that way. Come to think of it, maybe she should invite Maria and Ginny as well.

After dropping by a few more stores in Muggle London and Diagon Alley, she and Ginny completed shopping. Hermione returned to the flat to take a nap.

* * *

><p>She was awoken by a tapping at the window. A large brown eagle owl had flown to the window, a letter attached to its leg. Opening the window, she let the owl in and gave it a treat before it flew off. Hermione had just opened the letter when Draco entered the flat.<p>

"What's that?"

"A letter from Narcissa," replied Hermione, eyes on the mail, while Draco surreptitiously shrunk the gifts and stuck them in his pocket.

"What's it say?"

"She's inviting us for a Christmas party."

"Do you want to go?"

"I don't mind – I was planning on hosting one of our own, but I guess Narcissa beat me to it! Should I confirm them?"

"Go ahead – I'm sure Mother will be pleased. Is it a big event? Formal dress or anything?"

"No – she said it's a small cosy get together."

"Small and cosy my arse," Draco scoffed. "That means at least 100 people."

"I dunno, your mum probably wouldn't be offering a place to sleep for that many people, would she?"

"What?" Draco looked at the invitation. In his mother's loopy handwriting, it read:

_Feel free to stay the night so we may exchange gifts in the morning – or Father Nicholas can deliver them._

"Hmm, that's odd." Draco was slightly perturbed.

"Well, it made no mention of dressing up, so perhaps it really is just an intimate soirée." Hermione pulled out a piece of parchment and penned a reply before sending it off via owl.

* * *

><p>Hermione checked the back of her closet for the presents she'd hidden, making sure Scorpius or Draco hadn't been snooping. Shrinking them and securing the in her handbag, Hermione exited the closet clad in a festive red and gold cashmere jumper, a homage to her Gryffindor roots.<p>

Draco looked up from the dresser, tucking his presents in his pocket. His eyes narrowed as he saw Hermione's outfit. Granted, he was wearing a green and silver pullover, but did she have to rile his blood so? The jumper hugged her curves nicely – she appeared to have put on a few pounds around her waist and her breasts were fuller, not that he was complaining. Hermione pecked him on the lips before sauntering out the door, her bum swaying seductively.

Draco muttered a curse before following Hermione, who was currently engaged in levitating her Black Forest cake onto a cake stand and into a box. Scorpius stood to the side, licking the bowl, as Hermione had spent that afternoon finishing the cake. Draco grinned at the vision.

"Daddy, can we go now? I wanna see Grammy!" called Scorpius, noting his father's entrance. Draco looked at Hermione for affirmation, as she raised the finished cake in confirmation. The trio floo'ed over, to be greeted by Narcissa.

"Grammy!" Scorpius called, running to give Narcissa a hug, which she gladly returned.

"It's so lovely to see you all! Why don't you join the rest of the adults as I settle Scor with the other children?"

"There's really no need Narcissa – " Hermione tried to protest weakly.

"Nonsense! I insist!" said Narcissa, shooing the couple away. She wondered, was Draco going to pop the question tonight? He seemed awfully fidgety.

Narcissa settled Scorpius by the fire in the Grand Room with the other children, who were engaged in games of wizard's chess, exploding snap, and gobstones, before returning to the party. Hermione was engaged in small talk with Maria Zabini, while Draco stood by her side, with one hand around her waist and another holding a glass of champagne. She looked blissfully happy, Narcissa realised. Narcissa hadn't invited too many families to her modest cottage for the soirée – she decided that she wanted to get to know the friends of Draco and hopefully her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

The night passed quickly, a few work friends bidding them farewell around midnight, giddy with holiday merriment and eggnog. Draco noticed that Hermione had stayed away from the alcohol, like many of the women, but he was surprised when she declined a sip of the delectable eggnog and the champagne too. He thought it odd – but was quickly distracted from his thoughts by Scorpius pulling his hand excitedly.

"Daddy! It's time to cut the Yule Log!" Draco allowed himself to be pulled to the Grand Room, where the children were crowded excitedly around the Yule Log. He noticed Hermioen standing off to the side, with Ginny and Maria beside her. They were conversing softly, their words not reaching his ears.

After everyone had taken a slice of cake, Draco made his way over to where Hermione was laughing with Harry.

"Having fun, love?" he asked softly, snaking his arm around Hermione's waist. She turned her head and gave him a long kiss. "Mmm… chocolatey," he said with a grin, watching Harry's face contort into a grimace. "Gotta problem, Potter?"

Harry shot him a look and rolled his eyes before muttering and turning around to walk away from the couple.

"You and Harry have become a lot closer recently. Is there a particular reason why?" noted Hermione curiously.

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "I suppose that's what happens when you're on a life-threatening mission with someone."

Hermione was shocked by Draco's boldness. "You never did tell me what happened on that assignment with Harry."

"Don't worry yourself. I'm here alive and well, aren't I?" Draco brushed it off. The man had seen some of his most vulnerable moments, and he wasn't sure whether he was ready to relive them yet, much less share them. "Speaking of closeness, you and Mother have become awfully close lately."

"We get along quite well, actually. We're going to hit up the Muggle stores for Boxing Day sales!"

"Am I missing something here?"

"I assure you not. I'm merely taking her up on her offer to go shopping sometime. Right, darling?" Narcissa replied smoothly, slipping into their conversation. Hermione nodded.

"What am I supposed to do?" bemoaned Draco, sounding quite like a petulant child.

"I dunno – go play Quidditch with Blaise or something."

Draco scoffed. "You make it sound like I'm 5 or something."

Hermione and Narcissa exchanged a look and smiled.

* * *

><p>"Mummy, Daddy, wake up!" yelled Scorpius, bouncing on the bed. Draco aimed a pillow at the voice, easily missing in his half-asleep state. Hermione rubbed her eyes, sitting up, and was greeted by the same pillow to the face.<p>

"Scor…" her voice warned.

"Sorry Mummy! I meant to hit Daddy!" Scorpius looked bashful, but none too sorry.

"Why don't you join Aunt Ginny downstairs?" suggested Hermione, hearing Ginny scolding James and Albus. "I'll be down soon." Scorpius nodded his consent and quickly bounded out the door. Hermione made move to leave the warm comforts of the bed, but Draco's hold on her only tightened.

"Don't go, Mione," he mumbled into the pillow.

"It's Christmas Day, love. You ought to get up." Hermione fiddled nervously with the hem of her pajamas. Today was the day… She managed to untangle herself from Draco's limbs, not before giving him a smack to the head with the fallen pillow.

* * *

><p>Draco rubbed his eyes, feeling the loss of Hermione's body heat. He pulled on a robe over his pajamas – Hermione insisted upon him <em>not <em>sleeping in just boxers while he was at his mother's house – and made his way downstairs, not before grabbing a small box he'd hidden. Today was the day… he could feel it. He'd no plan, instead choosing to "go with the flow," as Potter put it, whatever the hell that meant. He padded down the staircase, seeing the three families grouped around the Christmas tree and the embers of the newly alight fire.

Narcissa looked up at her son. "How kind of you to join us, Draco," she quipped, a knowing look twinkling in her eye.

The children opened their presents first, with exclamations of surprise and job at what "Saint Nicholas" brought. Draco snorted at the gifts Scorpius received from Hermione – Quidditch Through the Ages, a Beginner's Guide to potions, and an interesting read on how to control elementary magic. _Typical_, he thought. He, on the other hand, purchased a broom care kit, a season's pass to all Falmouth Falcons games as well as a jersey with all the players' signatures. Being a VIF – Very Important Fan – had its perks, after all, and of course, Scorpius was expected to follow in his footsteps.

After the children had finished unwrapping their gifts and were busy admiring Albus' new broom – this came with a warning from Ginny to _not_ ride it indoors – the adults settled down on the evacuated couches.

Harry presented Ginny with tickets to Bora Bora – a month long trip over Easter break in which the couple could renew their marriage vows and celebrate 15 years together. Ginny squealed like a teenage girl. After most of the gifts had been exchanged – Hermione had gotten a set of first-edition spellbooks from Draco – Draco looked at Hermione, who wore a golden, radiant smile, and rose off the couch. The room quickly became silent as Draco took out a small velvet box and bent on one knee.

"Hermione Jean Granger – we've known each other for so many years, both with good and bad memories, but it was only until recently that you fully opened your heart and home to Scorpius and myself. I'm forever grateful for this second change that you've given me – that Merlin's given me , and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Truly, Hermione Granger, you're something special and I didn't realise how much I needed you until now. Will you grant me the honour of marrying you?" Draco looked at Hermione, hopeful. Her face was frozen in an expression of astonishment, but she broke into a breathtaking smile as tears filled her eyes and threatened to spill over.

"Oh, yes, Draco! You've just made me the happiest woman!" she exclaimed, giving him a kiss after he slid the beautiful ring on her finger. They were rudely interrupted by the flash of the new camera Hermione had gifted Ginny and a chorus of "Eww!"s from Scorpius, James, and Albus. Hermione bit her lip, making eye contact with Narcissa.

"I'm afraid we haven't exchanged _all_ the gifts yet."

Draco furrowed his brows in confused. Narcissa pulled out a white box wrapped in a simple gold bow from behind the couch and handed it to Draco. Pulled the tails of the bow in slight apprehension, he looked around, making eye contact with a nervous Hermione. Her peered inside, seeing a neatly folded t-shirt. Reaching inside, he picked up the plain white t-shirt and stared at the black words printed on the tee.

'PROUD DADDY-TO-BE' it proclaimed. The meaning dawned on him after a few more seconds. He turned to Hermione.

"You-you're pregnant?" he asked, jaw-dropped.

Hermione nodded. "…Are you…upset?" she asked tentatively.

"Upset?! Merlin no, I'm so happy! I'm going to be a proper daddy! I promise!" Draco pulled on the tacky t-shirt, much to everyone's amusement.

"Wait, Mummy, does that many I'm going to have a baby brother or sister?" asked Scorpius, bouncing over elatedly.

"Yes, Scor, darling!" Hermione gathered her little angel in her arms.

Draco realised that none of the women were reacting aside from the knowing grins.

"Wait…did you all know?" They nodded. "How long has this been going on?" Hermione indicate for him to look in the box again. Inside was a sonogram dates at seven weeks. "So you're almost two months along then?"

"You're not mad I kept it from you, right? I wanted to be sure and everything."

"No, no, though that explains the lack of drinking lately – I was wondering why our wine cabinet remained full," joked Draco, referring to Hermione's tendency to drink a glass of red wine after a stressful day at work to unwind.

"Hey!" Hermione hit Draco's arm playfully. "The liquor cabinet has been getting lots of action lately," she retorted knowingly.

By now, the rest of the company had dispersed to their own conversations, but Draco and Hermione were interrupted by little Scorpius.

"I can't wait to be a big brother!" he exclaimed excitedly. "This really has been the best Christmas ever!" Draco and Hermione exchanged a smile and couldn't help but agree.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** What did you think? Please leave a review! Also, feel free to follow my fandom / Emma Watson instagram - accio_emma. I update daily, so you can talk to me on there! I promise I don't bite! xx


	18. Chapter 18: Complications

**A/N**: Hey everyone! I'm publishing within in the month! :D *pats self on back awkwardly* Please read the AN at the bottom. Please read and review! Thank you! xx

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><p>Chapter 18: Complications<p>

It was now early March and Hermione's baby bump was beginning to show – though it was all still speculation, of course. The press had a field day when they spotted the engagement ring on Hermione's finger. Hermione didn't plan to release an official statement – she'd informed her Department Head and the Minister, as well as her close friends and family, but that was all for now. She was sure it would be quite obvious soon, as she had just purchased her first pair of maternity jeans the other day.

She was bringing Draco to Muggle London to visit her parents, who despite deciding to stay in Australia, still loved their daughter dearly. In spite of all they'd been through, the recognised that Hermione had done it because she loved them. She would be bringing along Scorpius at a later date, as they had yet to meet him. They didn't know of his existence actually!

She'd told Draco not to worry, as she was sure her parents would love him. Draco believed otherwise, thought – he hadn't asked for permission to marry Hermione – so he knew that winning over Mr. Granger would be hard, at least. Merlin help him.

* * *

><p>"Oh Hermione dear, you're absolutely glowing!" Mrs. Granger stood up to hug her daughter.<p>

"It's so good to see you, Mum!" Hermione gushed, giving both her parents a hug. "Mum, Dad, meet Draco."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr and Mrs Granger," Draco greeted rather stiffly.

"No need for formalities – call me Jean!" Mrs. Granger pulled Draco in for a hug. He was taken aback by her display of affection, but quickly recovered and returned the hug. _One parent down, one to go_, he thought dreadfully. And by the looks of it, Mr. Granger would not be so easily swayed.

"Daddy, are you mute?" scolded Hermione. The wrinkles by the side of his mouth smoothed a little as he looked at Hermione affectionately, but turned to Draco and growled, "So you're the boy who proposed to my Hermione without asking for permission."

Draco stood straight, though mentally, he was agape. _Well that was to the point_, he thought. "I, uh, I-" Draco stuttered uncharacteristically.

"Charles! Don't be so rude!" Jean scolded. "At least Draco's been able to make Hermione settle down!" she joked. "I didn't think you'd ever marry after that debacle with Andrew."

Draco noticeably tensed.

Hermione laughed nervously before changing the subject. "The food smells absolutely delicious, mum!"

"I made mushroom soup, your favourite!" Mrs. Granger gushed. "Come on, let's go eat. _Charles."_

Dinner was an odd affair, what with Hermione and Jean catching up while Draco and Charles ate stoically.

"Draco, do you like the potatoes?" Jean asked suddenly.

Draco choked on a bite of said potatoes, before saying, "It's absolutely delicious! I love the rosemary and sea salt," he complimented.

"I should teach Hermione how to cook them then," Jean said with a wink.

"Mum!" Hermione protested.

"That would be much appreciated, Jean," Draco bantered. He reached for Hermione's hand and gave it a squeeze. She smiled back and gave him a quick peck. He heard a choke from across the table and a quick whack in reply.

Once they had all finished eating, Draco and Charles moved to the living room, where Charles pulled out a bottle of whiskey and turned on the telly.

"D'you like football, son?" Charles said gruffly.

"Yes, sir," replied Draco.

"What team?"

"Liverpool."

"Good choice."

Draco settled next to Mr. Granger on the couch, as they watched the match together. It seemed that from those few words, a sort of understanding had come between them. It seemed like they were both in for the long haul, after all.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hermione and her mum were clearing the dishes – they'd left the two men in the same room, hoping they'd attempt to get along.<p>

"How's the baby, Hermione?" asked Jean. She'd been sent a few sonograms since Hermione found out, but she had yet to see, or feel, the bump herself.

"Peanut is good," replied Hermione contently.

"Do you know the gender yet?"

"No, we were going to at the last appointment, but the baby was in an awkward position."

"Ah," sighed Jean understandingly. "You were such a difficult child," Jean reminisced.

"Thanks mum!"

"I kid Hermione. You were definitely an easy child – it was the pregnancy that wasn't easy. Had a few scares with Braxton-Hicks and what not. But hopefully yours will go easily – your morning sickness is better than mine!"

Hermione laughed. "It was quite dreadful at first, but definitely subsided quickly! Draco's had to go shopping rather frequently, though – my cravings are insane!"

The two women settled into a comfortable silence. "I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmum…"

"Y'know, I think you should check on Dad and Draco to see if they're both alive. Draco might have a wand, but Dad can be pretty paralysing when he needs be. I'm more concerned for Draco!" joked Hermione.

"Well, it's nice to know you care about me." Draco walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter where they were working. "Jean, I can take over putting away the dishes," he offered.

"Oh that's too kind! I'll just leave you two alone then."

"So, who is this Andrew that your mom mentioned earlier?" asked Draco, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"Oh, it's just a former beau," replied Hermione, trying to be equally nonchalant, as she put away the dishes after dinner.

"Oh, really? What kind of 'debacle' did you have with him, then?" Draco's voice had taken a sharp edge to it.

"It's nothing, Draco. It's in the past, okay?" Hermione continued scrubbing the plates.

"I don't think it's nothing."

Hermione didn't reply for a while. "I don't want to talk about it," she said a bit later.

"Dammit, Hermione! I thought we were at a point where we could be honest with each other!" Draco slammed his fist down on the countertop.

Hermione flinched and a look of fear presented in her eyes, as she turned towards him. Draco had never seen that look on her face before. "I- I'm sorry," she stuttered, avoiding eye contact with Draco. She turned back to the sink and viciously scrubbed the plates, as the room fell silent and the air felt heavy with unspoken words.

"Shit!" Hermione exclaimed, as a clatter sounded. Draco flew to her side by the sink, where a porcelain plate lay broken. Hermione's hand was dripping with blood that was staining the bubbles in the sink a sickly red.

Draco's eyes went wide. "I dunno any healing spells… we should take you to St. Mungo's!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "There's a bottle of dittany at home in the potions cabinet." Draco nodded before disapparating away, as Jean and Charles ran into the kitchen.

"Hermione! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine mum, it's just a cut." Hermione winced as she ran the wound under water to clean it out.

"What happened?"

"I was clumsy and broke a plate," answered Hermione. Draco appeared a few minutes later, bottle in hand. He quickly pipetted some dittany onto the wound, while Jean and Charles looked on in amazement ad the wound began stitching itself up.

"I'll finish up the plates," Jean offered, as Draco led Hermione to the living room. Charles kept Jean company in the kitchen.

"Are you sure you're okay, Hermione?" asked Draco, concern evident in his voice.

'I'm fine. I told you, I don't want to talk about it." Hermione's voice sounded strained, and she was unwilling to make eye contact, instead staring resolutely at the new pinkish skin on the palm.

* * *

><p>The mood for the rest of the evening was noticeably awkward, and when the clock struck 10PM, Hermione rose to leave.<p>

"Leaving so soon, Hermione?" asked Mrs. Granger.

"I'm really tired, Mum."

"Alright, let me just pack up some of the leftovers for you."

"Mum, you don't have to!"

"You know your father and I won't be able to eat it all. Don't try to stop me dear – you may be magical, but I'm still your mother and that trumps any tricks you can do."

"I'll get it, Hermione," Draco offered. She just nodded.

Draco strolled up to the counter where Mrs. Granger was packaging some of the leftovers – mince pies, the rosemary potatoes, a large slice of the lemon-raspberry meringue cake.

"This is too much, Jean."

"Nonsense! Shush and take it Draco. You'll thank me later when you don't have to cook."

Draco raised his hands in surrender and took the box. "…if you don't mind me asking… who is Andrew?"

Jean's eyes grew wide and she stopped. "I think that's something you should ask Hermione about. It's not my place to tell."

"I tried to but she didn't want to talk about it."

"She'll talk about it eventually, don't worry too much, Draco," Jean said reassuringly, patting him on the back. "She may be stubborn like her father, but she's still a logical girl."

They made their way to the foyer where Hermione and Mr. Granger stood, waiting.

"Goodbye dear," said Jean, giving Hermione a hug. "And good luck."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** In other news, I'm _finally_ a second semester senior! Which means no more college apps (though I have scholarship apps ;u;) and less homework sort of. Less caring, anyways. It's good news for you guys, because I'll hopefully have more time to write! I'm feeling this story wrapping up around 25-30 chapters, just so you guys know. Please go vote on my poll for my next project, or PM me! Ideas very much appreciated, and I'll dedicate the story to you if I end up using your suggestion. :)


	19. Chapter 19: Unearthed

**A/N: **Hi friends :) Here's another chapter. I suppose here is where the "shit hits the fan."

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><p>Chapter 19: Unearthed<p>

The doorbell rang at the Potter residence. Walking to the door, Ginny opened it to find a slightly-sick looking Hermione.

"Hermione, are you alright? You look positively ill."

Hermione shook her head.

"Come in, come in. You don't want to be getting sick, not with the baby and all."

"Do you mind if I stay overnight?" asked Hermione quietly.

"No, not at all! I'll just fix up the guest bedroom later." The two women walked into the sitting room connected to Ginny's bedroom. Hermione sank into the cushions on the couch and stared at the ground. Ginny knew not to press her, and calmly waited until Hermione was ready to speak.

"Do you remember that time a few years ago, after Ron and I had broken up?"

Ginny nodded. "Yea, we never really saw you around. I know you were looking at a job as a barrister in the Muggle world."

"It wasn't necessarily that I wanted to leave the Wizarding World – but that I had found a reason for staying in the Muggle world."

Ginny's brows wrinkled in confusion, but then realisation dawned on her. "You didn't have a beau at the time, did you?"

Hermione nodded. "His name was Andrew, Andrew Winchester, and he was a Muggle lawyer. We'd been dating for a couple of months – nearly half a year – when I found out I was pregnant. It was his, of course, but he didn't believe me." Here, Hermione paused. Her voice got soft.

"He accused me of keeping secrets and cheating on him. I mean, I understood the keeping secrets part – Statute of Secrecy and all – but I could never for the life of me fathom why he thought I cheated on him. He thought I was on birth control – but I wasn't on the Muggle Pill. I just used contraceptive spells."

Ginny nodded understandingly. "I suppose that's why you never brought him around. Harry suspected you were seeing someone, but after a while, we just dropped it."

"That was the first day he laid a hand on me." Ginny almost didn't hear what Hermione said, but the implication was evident on Hermione's face. _Shame. Guilt. Fear._

"What?!" Ginny had a look of complete and utter shock on her face. "How could he have laid a hand on you?!"

"He always had a temper, you know… I – I stayed with him, not because I loved him, or that he loved me. But because I didn't want my baby to not have a father. I thought that maybe when Andrew saw the baby, he'd know it was his. And he'd stop. But then…"Hermione's eyes had achieved a glazed look to them, as she looked far into the past. Ginny reached over to take Hermione's hands in her own.

"I lost the baby!" she wailed. "It was just too hard on my body, trying to take care of two humans while I was always healing. One day he just went too far and my body reacted violently. I was six months along – and…" The tears were streaming down her face. "He was stillborn," she said softly. "The doctors said he had a brain bleed and that my uterus was rejecting him. _Rejecting _my baby, just like the father did."

"I only got to hold him once – I was going to name him Charlie after my dad. He was so perfect – even though his skin was pink and purple because it wasn't fully developed, you could see the little tufts of hair. He had the prettiest hair, this honey blonde color that came from Andrew and me."

"Oh Hermione, you did the best you could."

"No, I didn't. It was my fault Charlie died – I couldn't protect him from Andrew."

"Don't say that! You _can't_ blame yourself. It was all at the hands of Andrew, and there's not more you can do."

"I could've been brave enough to leave Andrew, but _no_, I was a coward. Gryffindor, my arse. I know that had I returned to the Wizarding world with child but sans father, I'd be the subject of too much gossip. I didn't want Charlie to grow up in that sort of environment."

"We could've helped you!" Ginny insisted.

"I wish you could've, but I don't know how much you could've done. I didn't want to be a burden."

"A burden? Is that what you think you are to us?" Ginny was incredulous. She'd never heard Hermione say anything like this.

"I don't mean it like that Ginny, but you were pregnant with Albus, and you and Harry were so _happy_-"

"But you were suffering!" Ginny exclaimed. "Family helps family, no matter what. Hermione you should've just come to us…"

Hermione sighed. "What's done is done."

The silence was broken by Ginny. "Is this why you love Scorpius so much?"

"Perhaps – their hair colours were similar, after all. But Scorpius was also just the child I never had. Or the child I could've had, I suppose." By now, her sobs had subsided and it was only the tears that kept running. Ginny handed her a tissue.

"Have you told Draco?" Ginny inquired.

"No, I haven't… I plan to, but I don't know when or how. I mean, he found out yesterday because my mum mentioned Andrew, but no one knew the extent of all this."

"I'm afraid," Hermione whispered.

"Why?" asked Ginny.

"I'm five months along, nearing six. It's when I lost Charlie… and I don't know what I would do if I lost another child. I was lucky I didn't lose my uterus with Charlie – I wouldn't have ever been able to have children…"

"Oh Hermione, please don't worry yourself unnecessarily. I think you have more to worry about with Andrew and Draco. How did you manage to conceal your injuries when you visited us at the Burrow?"

"I'd hide my injuries with glamour charms – I got very good at them, you know," she quipped. "I told my mum I was going to an international workshop for law, but in reality, I went to an inpatient centre for a few weeks to allow my body to heal."

"And Andrew?"

"I never saw him again, and I never plan to," Hermione said with a tone of finality.

• • • • • • • •

Harry entered his house, surprised not to be greeted by the smell of dinner cooking. The house was silent – James and Albus were with Ron tonight – so perhaps Ginny had prepared something _special_ for them tonight?

He quietly placed his briefcase into his study and walked up the stairs. He made move to open his door, but the sound of another voice paused him in his tracks.

He heard Ginny reassuring Hermione not to worry, but the next lines worried him. _Who was Andrew? What injuries?_ He pushed the door of their bedroom open, seeing Hermione sitting on the couch in their sitting room.

"Hi Hermione, hi Ginny," Harry said cautiously. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No – not at all!" said Hermione, though the look that Ginny was shooting him said otherwise.

Harry made move to go back downstairs when he stopped and turned around. "Hermione, I'm just curious, who is Andrew?"

Hermione visibly paled. "J-just an ex-boyfriend."

"_Just_ an ex-boyfriend?" Harry sounded skeptical. "Hermione, I'll ask this once: Did Andrew hurt you purposefully?"

Her silence was enough confirmation. Harry saw red, shaking with rage. He stomped out the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

"Harry!" Hermione found her voice and tore the door open in an attempt to follow him. She only saw the flash of a cloak and the front door closing before she doubled over in pain.

"_Help me,_" she said, before the world turned black.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** The sucks having chapters written but having the editor inside your head being overly critical. GAHHH. Also it's kinda of sad because a lot of my friends don't know I write, and I know fanfiction isn't really taken seriously, but I actually am a decent writer... and obviously, fanfiction isn't my best work. But I've had teachers tell me my work is publishable. It's just a tad annoying when someone is like "Even _you_ could write a better book than [insert name here]. " (In this case, we were talking about EL James' _Fifty Shades of Grey_ lol). It shouldn't bother me this much but it does...


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